Once Upon a Time in Konoha
by Lotus Blooms
Summary: It was hard growing up without a sense of belonging, though you'd be hard pressed to tell when he always ran around with that toothy smile plastered on his face. Discovering what it means to be an Uzumaki, Naruto re-prioritizes, and with the help of his friends, will leave behind a legacy his ancestors can be proud of. Seal master!Naruto. Smart!Naruto. NaruHina
1. Enter the Spiral

A/N: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

I'm not sure how you make a crop of short hair look shaggy, but he always managed it, somehow. Head-to-desk, he hid blue, bloodshot eyes behind the orange sleeves of a dusty, patchwork jacket. There was a fresh tear on his navy-blue shoulder pad, courtesy of a drunken civilian who'd managed to get his hands on kunai, no doubt given to him by a vengeful shinobi who'd wanted to keep his hands clean from the act. That cut was the most obvious one. He'd gotten a few nicks on his hands and feet throughout the traditional high-stakes game of hide-and-seek he played with the citizenry. But, for reasons he couldn't quite comprehend, those wounds usually healed up within seconds. Usually, the abuse was contained to glaring, hateful derision, or at its worst outright, willful neglect. But come midnight of October 10th, some drunkard always came knocking.

This year had been better than others. He'd had 10 months at the academy, and combined with a fulltime, lifetime lesson in stealth and evasion, giving those small groups of drunkards 'the slip' had become old hat in a matter of hours. The first group caught him by surprise, especially the one brandishing ninja tools. But after that first scare, he'd turned it into a morbid game of cat and mouse. That small, gnawing, resentful part of his brain drew some satisfaction in finally escaping those bastards mostly unscathed. But doing it for seven hours was grueling, especially on a body whose main source of nutrition was ramen. So it was with little wonder that, as the academy opened its doors and our blond hero found his seat, he collapsed upon it in a heap of sweat, dirt, and a newfound sense of pride.

Happy tenth birthday, Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

Iruka prided himself on being the second person in the building every morning. He gave himself enough time to enjoy his breakfast of rice, natto, and eggs, brew himself the day's coffee, and be in the office by 7:30. Since class started at 9, it was rare for any of the other instructors to get there before 8, and Iruka enjoyed having those silent few minutes to center himself before the day's pandemonium started. The echoing clack of his steps broke the otherwise quiet morning, a courtesy he did to let the janitor know that there was at least one other person in the building.

To his surprise, he opened his door to find a disheveled, orange figure slumped over in one of the seats. The telltale blond shag and orange jumpsuit were a dead giveaway, but really, he was shocked that Naruto had bothered to show up at all. His attendance was sparse, if we are being generous, and he hadn't even bothered to attend this month. That being said, he wasn't exactly bewildered by Naruto's lack of interest; most of the instructor's actively sabotaged the poor child's education, and it was a miracle he could even throw a kunai straight. There was only so much time he could give to support the blond, and as a lowly instructor, there was little he could do to influence the actions of his colleagues. A sigh escaped resigned lips as he approached closer.

Naruto was dirtier than usual. While the boy was the antithesis of organization (he'd scouted out his apartment on a number of occasions), the blond had made it a point to at least be presentable whenever he decided to show up. But mud and grime caked his orange jumpsuit, with grass stains streaking his knees and elbows. A leaf or two, and several clumps of dirt, had buried themselves among his yellow locks, and white stuffing billowed from the open gash at his jacket's left shoulder. He was happy to note a lack of blood on the boy, and the soft rise of his back seemed to indicate Naruto was sleeping peacefully.

As Iruka turned his attention to the board, he caught a blond head stirring out of the corner of his eye. Crusty, periwinkle, bloodshot orbs creaked open and stared into the scar-faced chunin's chocolate ones. Iruka's breath hitched, noting the full extent of Naruto's exhaustion. The blond, ever optimistic and fearless, gave him that tireless, white, Cheshire grin and let out a stifled breath.

Iruka swallowed the guilt-laced knot building in his throat. "Are you okay, Naruto?" He breathed out in a half-whisper.

Grin undisturbed but lacking his usual vibrance, Naruto answered back. "You know, the normal birthday harassment. Been up all ni-." A yawn interrupted, and unconsciously, Naruto lay his head back on his desk and let sleep's warm, black embrace overwhelm him.

"Sweet dreams, Naruto," Iruka said more to himself than to his young student, turning once again toward the board to prepare for the day's lesson.

* * *

It was his first-time seeing Naruto post-birthday-beatdown, but it left a cold, unsettling coil rumble in his stomach. He didn't know whether to feel guilty he hadn't looked after Naruto more carefully, or to feel angry that Naruto brushed it off so casually. He'd heard rumors before, of how some of the civilians would gang up on him the evening of his birthday and beat him unconscious. None of the village's shinobi dare lay a finger on him: he was protected by the word of the Hokage himself. The last time one of Konoha's ninja had attacked Naruto in a drunken stupor, Sarutobi had seen him disappeared to the darkest bowels of Morino Ibiki's T&I. It sent a shiver down his spine thinking of the incident. He'd tried to pry the truth out of Ibiki once over several bottles of sake, but the man had simply iced over at the question, pointedly ordering his inferior to never mention it again. The rumors that had leaked were enough to keep the rest of the shinobi force from ever attempting such a thing again.

The Hokage's word, however, did little to stifle the grudge many of the civilian population held toward Naruto. Every October 10th, the tension would boil over, and a few of the more courageous drunkards would take their unabating resentment and hatred and set themselves on the child. The civilian council, made of merchants and wealthy businessmen, kept the Hokage in stalemate, refusing to allow military rule of civilian matters. The village's prosperity heavily depended upon the middle and upper-middle class contingent, and since Naruto had not yet been classified as a shinobi, repercussions were out of the Hokage's jurisdiction. Though the civilian police force did not let the child be murdered, they turned a blind eye to anything less than lethal.

Iruka had been lonely growing up an orphan, but he had never been outright abandoned. No matter what his minor sins, Naruto deserved better than to have the memories of his birthdays filled by prejudicial attacks.

Inundated in thought, Iruka had missed the clamor growing behind him as his classroom began to fill out with the raucous hijinks of his students. In particular, he could hear the enthusiastic growl characteristic of Inuzuka Kiba. And it seemed to be directed at the classroom's other infamous clown.

"Happy birthday, idiot!" Kiba grinned at Naruto as he placed a 10-candled cupcake in front of the blond. "Orange-frosting and blue candles, per Hinata's suggestion!"

Lifting his head up, Naruto drew his eyes to the wide, mischievous smile of the Inuzuka clan's heir, following the thumb jutted toward the stammering, quivering figure of the white-eyed girl hiding behind him.

Kiba continued, "Oh yeah. Shikamaru and Chouji pitched in too. Man, you shoulda seen Chouji SALIVATING the whole way here. It took both Shikamaru and I to make sure he didn't jump the poor cupcake and devour it in one!"

Comprehension dawning, the patented Uzumaki smile split his face as his eyes sparked with appreciation. Naruto extended his hand for a high-five, which Kiba readily met with a clasp of his own.

"Quite wise of you Kiba," Naruto exclaimed while putting on airs. "It is great to honor your future Hokage with a token of your appreciation! Know that I won't forget this when the time comes to choose advisors!"

Kiba, in mock scandal, retorted, "Ha! You think you can match the greatness of the… Uh… Great Inuzuka Kiba! That hat was destined for my head, and your lips for my feet!" It was odd to imagine that a friendship had developed through these daily repartees, but Iruka noted that the same could be said of the small yet important bonds the young orphan had developed with his classmates.

"If Inuzuka Kiba was destined for greatness, then Uzumaki Naruto was bound for legend!" Naruto hit back. "I can see it now. Iruka-sensei, up-front-"

"-Leave me out of your fantasies, Naruto," Iruka interrupted as he placed the finishing touches to his lesson plan.

"Mah, mah, fine Iruka-sensei. You're not needed for this anyway!" Naruto shot back before turning to Kiba. "Right beside my name, 'Uzumaki Naruto, the one man to surpass the fourth Hokage-"

Kiba broke out in laughter, spittle covering Naruto's face. "Are we getting delusional there, Naruto? You, a clanless nobody, surpassing the Fourth Hokage?"

Kids had a way of being unintentionally nasty. Kiba really meant nothing by it. He knew little of the pervasive loneliness Naruto suffered through daily, yet it had stabbed Naruto in a way little else could. His smile slipped for a half-second, before he replaced his open smile with a defensive one, though no one but Hinata and Iruka would be able to tell that difference.

"Kiba, that was very rude of you to say to a fellow classmate," Iruka called out. "Apologize to Naruto."

"We were just playing Iruka-sensei. You never say anything when he calls me 'Dog-Breath!'"

"Yeah Iruka-sensei," Naruto butted in. "We were just playing. It'd take a lot more than that for 'Dog-Breath' to hurt my feelings!"

Iruka sighed as we watched Naruto and Kiba recommence their fighting. He had gotten better at burying the hurt, but the way Naruto held his eyes tight, a tear threatening to spill over, was enough to give him away. It was 9 in the morning, and already, his mental meanderings had left Iruka emotionally drained. Exhaling, he slumped back in his chair, needing another 5 minutes to gather himself.

He wasn't sure what urged the next words out of his mouth. Maybe all the day's dwellings had made him so tired he'd decided it was a good idea to exercise poor judgment. Maybe the fact that he too had been an orphan provoked compassion out of him, a desire to help alleviate Naruto of his loneliness and sorrow. That same concern Iruka felt as he lay eyes on Naruto that morning caught fire, awakening a paternalistic instinct he'd never recognized in himself. Abruptly, Iruka slammed the eraser onto the blackboard, erasing the intricate lattice of equations he'd calligraphed onto every inch. His arm worked vigorously, but unlike the meticulous layout of his lesson plan, the chalk smear was inelegant and disorganized. Like he didn't care about the state of his blackboard. Which was so out of character that, for the first time in his career, every set of eyes and ears were entirely centered upon him. Iruka finally turned to a stunned class, catching mouths agape, brows furrowed and eyes wide.

Iruka was big-hearted and straight-forward. The last word he would use to describe himself was indulgent, but he decided that, with all attention gravitating toward him, he would not miss this opportunity for the ideal class session. He turned his newfound appreciation for theatricality into a full-blown drama, drawing up an old tattered book from the bottom of his desk drawer. As he laid it flat, inquisitive faces glued themselves to the relic their teacher had just produced. A cloud bloomed as Iruka blew the dust-riddled covered, hints of cobwebs untangling from the leather binding and scattering across the desk.

"Actually, Kiba," Iruka started.

The silence was dense, bordering on suffocating. Kiba could feel the warm tickle of Hinata's breath at the nape of his neck, synced with his own. The tension was inexplicable, and that made it all the worse. This was not their Iruka. Two seats away from Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke's felt his heart begin to pound, paranoia shooting electric currents from his brain down his hands, mouth dry and tongue sticky as a single thought began to creep into his head: they had been infiltrated by an imposter.

"Naruto does have clan."

Iruka let the words hang, as he watched 27 pairs of eyes flitter and fixate, and 27 different mouths widen or close. Even in that dense silence, 27 sets of ears could hear the revelation reverberate within their brains. It was Haruno Sakura on whom realization first dawned, as her body leaned forward, head straight and emerald orbs staring straight ahead. Kiba felt rooted, conflicted between going back to his seat, and the information not fully digesting. So he compromised, and folding his legs underneath him and taking his place on the floor. Consequently, Hinata was now fully exposed to the classroom, and caught between wanting to reach out to Naruto, wanting to hide, and wanting to head back to her seat, began to feel lightheaded and took a seat next to Kiba before she experienced another full-blown fainting episode.

Naruto's chest heaved, his breathing becoming more and more labored. His brain couldn't find the right contortion for his face. He couldn't pair his standard elation with the full-blown psychiatric shock. Disbelief cycled into hope cycled into doubt and recycled into disbelief. He stood up, chair thrown back, legs quaking and arms burning. Hands clenched it was the pinch of nails breaking the skin of his palms that let Naruto know that he was still awake. He could hear every beat of his heart through his ear drum, the muscles of his throat contracting, making each short breath painful. Naruto looked down at his hands, closing and opening them, unsure of… everything. Finally, tear-filled, blue eyes looked back at those friendly, warm chocolate ones as a broken screech slipped past the young blond's lips.

"What?"

* * *

The 27 students sat on the floor, legs crossed, huddled as Iruka began his lesson. Sasuke, who would actively seek solitude and usually stole away from the company of others, was so engrossed that he never let the fact that his and Sakura's knees were touching bother him. Likewise, Sakura's proximity to the brooding clan head had not even caught her attention.

"Very little on the Uzumaki clan has been retained from the third to fourth to fifth edition of the academy's A Brief History of Konoha. Each edition cut more in favor of adding more contemporary events, such as the betrayal of Orochimaru, or the battle between the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Iruka continued. "I was in the academy when we began using the third edition, but I have this hand-me-down copy of the second edition from my own sensei. Sadly, even what the second edition has is a paltry five pages, so it's no wonder you all have never heard of the Uzumaki clan." Iruka paused, checking his student's eyes to see if he'd lost anyone. He was quite surprised (and proud) that everyone's attention was still focusto led solely on him.

"But, as luck has it, when I was in the academy, I was tasked with a report on the clan. I'll admit, while my memory of that report is hazy at best, I'll do the best to fill in any blanks."

For the next three hours, Iruka regaled the class with stories of prodigious, ageless shinobi whose mastery of fuinjutsu was unmatched by any known people's. He recounted myths from the warring states period, of ninja who could survive multiple fatal wounds, and who could bend the laws of nature to their will. He explained the origin behind the spiral crest on the flak jackets of Konoha's advanced shinobi, and their proximity to the founding clan of Konohagakure, the Senjus. In particular, he honed in on Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and how their lineage would eventually lead to the birth of one of the three sannin, Tsunade Senju.

"Wait, Iruka-sensei," Naruto interrupted. "If my clan is so important and powerful, where is everyone?"

Looking down at Naruto, he saw periwinkle irises teaming with hope. He'd never seen Naruto like this: well-mannered, focused, and bordering on maturity. Because his story gave something to Naruto that he'd never had: a home. Naruto found no need for attention, be it in praise or derision, if he could just find someone to be close to, someone to acknowledge him for no other reason than for being himself, and being alive. For two hours, he'd given this boy a sense of belonging, that he too came from somewhere, that buried underneath the nights he sobbed into his pillow, dark and alone, there must be someone out there who cares for him, who loves him with no other reason than being kin. In that moment, as Iruka hesitated and he saw the hope begin to escape Naruto's eyes, he knew the grave sin he had committed. He had held the young boy's fragile worldview in his hands. In his enthusiasm, he'd forgotten that by the end of the day, he would be the one to strip that feeling away from him. The shinobi world dealt in short lives and ephemeral moments, and it was a lesson Naruto would learn sooner rather than later. Exhaling, Iruka steeled himself to finish his story.

"Sometime, during the Second Shinobi War, an allied Kirigakure and Kumogakure laid siege to Uzushiogakure. Already fighting on two fronts against Sunagakure and Tsuchigakure, Konoha was unable to open a third front and protect one of their ally nations. Uzushiogakure was destroyed, with those managing to escape the destruction scattering to the other nations, living in hiding. Those left behind have kept quiet, afraid that their infamy will bring unwanted attention. There are some unsubstantiated rumors that there are some Uzumaki living in the minor countries of the grass and rain, but Konoha has no records of contact with any of them."

Naruto didn't even twitch, eyes affixed to the floor, his light, gentle breath the only signs of life. The others began to move, picking themselves off the floor and moving to gather their belongings, heading home early to partake in the annual festival. Kiba and Hinata sat diligently by Naruto, while Shikamaru and Chouji stood dutifully by the other with Naruto's things. As Kiba prepared to deliver words of encouragement, Naruto halted him.

"I just need to be alone for a bit. I'll catch up with you guys at the festival."

Kiba offered his friend a one-armed hug, which the blond readily accepted, though he did not return one of his own.

"We-we'll hold onto your stuff, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata managed to squeak out to him. Naruto merely replied with a curt nod, eyes unmoved. Quietly, the four friends were chaperoned to the door by Iruka, whose warm nod promised that he would make sure Naruto was okay. As the door closed behind them, Naruto, still seated, turned his head to face his teacher.

"Iruka-sensei," his voice quaked, raspy, grasping at what calm and composure he could find. "Why did you tell me that story."

It had been a long day for Iruka already, and it was only lunchtime. He'd have to thank his big heart for the newest mess he'd created for himself. Finding his way over to Naruto, he crouched, bringing himself to eye level.

"Because Naruto. I know what it's like to be an orphan. But I was lucky to have at least known my parents, to know I was loved by someone. Even on my loneliest day, I had memories of old times to turn to. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't miss them, but whenever that feeling came, I could visit them inside a picture frame, or inside my mind. And as I became old enough, I started setting up a life of my own, filled with my own friends, and with those I wanted to take care of.

"I wanted you to know that, once upon a time, there was a group of people out there who were a lot like you. With boundless energy, and mischievous to boot. A large family who, whatever their legacy, would come home to each other, and share their daily toils over a warm meal.

"You may not have met your parents. And as far as I can tell, you're the only Uzumaki left. But that doesn't mean you can't start having that now. You have people that care enough about you to share the fragments of their toils and joys with you. Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Hinata, as odd a group as I've ever seen as a teacher, care enough to bring you a cupcake that probably took a week's worth of chores to save up for.

"Cherish that and share yourself back. Not the mask you wear every day, but the Uzumaki Naruto that who isn't afraid to show his hurt. You've been through a lot, and you're going to go through a lot, but it's so much better when you have your special people there for you.

"Now, dry your tears. We're expected at Ichiraku. I told Teuchi we'd stop by for you birthday."

Wiping the last of his tears on the tattered orange sleeve, Naruto stood up. Almost immediately, the Naruto's customary smile appeared, in full bloom, the corners of his eyelids wrinkled and nose upturned. Before Iruka could counter, Naruto had wrapped his arms around the young man's neck, pulling him the still crouched Iruka closer.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei!" the blond called out. "Don't forget that I've got you too!" Iruka let a small grin grace his lips, nodding and gesturing toward the door. Naruto took one last sniff as he centered himself, exhaled the last of his nerves, and set his sights on the door.

As they took a right down the hall and toward the exit, Naruto turned to his mentor.

"Growing up, did your dreams ever change?" he asked. Iruka paused his gait for a split second. Taking his right hand to his chin, his eyes squinted, searching for the most precise answer. Why did Naruto have to start getting philosophical with him right now? Not that he minded. It was his responsibility to field these sorts of questions from his students, and it was a responsibility he took great pride in performing. He chalked that up as another consequence of his bleeding heart. Or maybe no one ever gave Naruto the due credit for his depth.

"Maybe the specific goals changed." Iruka shrugged. "I went from wanting to continue my family's legacy, to leaving a legacy of my own through my students. The outcomes are different, but at its root, I just want to make sure I help contribute to the growth of the next generation. Teach them how to nurture their own wills of fire, so to speak. Why do you ask?"

They found themselves outside, the midday sun casting a glare onto the increasingly vibrant village. Papier-Mache effigies of the Nine-Tails were being burnt outside of the academy campus, in honor of the Fourth Hokage's defeat of the Kyuubi.

"Protecting the village, just like you and jiji do, that's important to me." Naruto started. "But I want something for myself too." Naruto picked up a stray rock and pelted it at one of the abandoned effigies, striking and knocking its head in. "Wherever my clan is, I want to make them proud. I want to make sure their legacy doesn't die with me. I want the Uzumaki, present and future, to know they have a home right here whenever they need one!"

Naruto hopped onto the nearest cement post, sucking in a full-lungs worth of air puffing his chest outward, hands on hips in a defiant stance. "Sensei, I'm going to revive the Uzumaki clan! It may just be me! There may be others, but by the time I die, the Uzumaki will have a home here in Konoha!"

He turned his back to Iruka, facing toward the Hokage monument. Jabbing a figure toward the stone heads etched into the side, Naruto bellowed out a challenge to his future predecessors. "Watch me! I'll be the first Uzumaki Hokage, and I'll be the damn best Hokage this village has ever seen!" Shifting back to Iruka, his radiant smile removed any traces of his previous melancholy.

"And there's no way I can do that on an empty stomach! What are we waiting for Iruka-sensei! Let's get some ramen!"

Without taking a second glance back, Naruto's legs broke into a bounding blur, deep imprints marking the route to Ichiraku's.

Iruka took one last look back at the academy before following Naruto's lead to Ichiraku's. It was only noon, but he already knew the day was bound to be filled with headaches.

* * *

Iruka was gratefully that the Anbu hadn't come calling until after his meal with Naruto was over. Behind the fox-shaped mask, a mass of grey hair spiked upward, and it was really only out of formality that Iruka refrained from using his real name.

"I take it Hokage-sama has requested my presence, Anbu-san?" The masked soldier gave him a quick nod before blurring out of sight.

The things he did for his students…

* * *

He'd never been on the receiving end of Hiruzen's wrath. Very few had, even when taking his enemies into account. On the battlefield, the man dubbed the "God of Shinobi" was infamous for his stoicism, vicious in his efficiency as the ideal shinobi should be. He wore the mask of a kind old man in front of the village's youth, but his ninja knew there was a reason HE led THEM, and not the other way around.

As Iruka crossed the threshold into the Hokage's office, he noted the grimace carved into the Third's expression. He found no mirth playing at the edge of the Hokage's eyes, as he bore the full weight of his glare upon the young teacher. Removing the pipe from his mouth, Hiruzen turned toward the view of the Hokage monument, his eyes tracing over his predecessors and successor.

"Tell me, chuunin."

Shit, when the Hokage referred to you by rank… Whatever came next would make "unpleasant" look kind. Iruka stilled, dread worming it's way up his legs, a numb electricity paralyzing him in place. It was the first time he felt the man's killing intent. Barely a sliver of it churned his stomach, bile and acid burning their way up his esophagus. The nausea left his brain hazy, and he didn't know whether to run, hide, or vomit.

"On whose order's did you decide to toe the line on revealing an S-Class secret?"

He couldn't corral a single thought, images flashing past him like a runaway reel.

"Well, chuunin?"

Perspiration beaded down the younger shinobi's face, air so heavy it was hard work just to take a breath in. Hiruzen stepped away from the window, and finally gave Iruka his undivided attention. His steps silent, threatening lethality, softly made their way past the paper-laden oaken desk.

"Answer me," he commanded in calm menace.

Iruka felt the tension deepen by an inch, but it was enough for Iruka to feel the inside of his chest swelter, like he was inhaling steam. His eyes beaded, frantically searching for his voice. Hiruzen moved closer, looking up at his subordinate with a face that barely betrayed his rage.

"What gave, you, an academy instructor, to nearly break one of the stipulations of an international treaty?"

He wanted to die just to get away.

"Do not forget, chuunin. I am your Lord Hokage. When it comes to the security of this village, my word is LAW. Do not take my leniency as a license for insubordination."

Without warning, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated, leaving Iruka to crumple on the floor, heaving. Hiruzen marched to his desk, robes snapping in his wake as he let his pipe and installed himself into the Hokage's chair.

Embers crackled out of the wooden bowel as Hiruzen inhaled, before he pushed out a stream of dark smoke.

"You're not usually one for insubordination Iruka, particularly the kind that, had Kumogakure gotten word, might spark the beginnings of an international scandal. Regardless of the absurdity of the treaty demands, we will respect the provision that the history of the Uzushiogakure not be taught in the academy."

Iruka's mouth creaked open in an attempt to speak, but he was halted by the Hokage's uplifted hand.

"My questions were rhetorical. I'm not blind. It's evident to everyone in that building how much you favor the boy. While my duties as Hokage prevent me from being as present as I would like in young Naruto's life, I would expect you to exercise better judgment in the upbringing of our young ward."

Taking another drag of his pipe, the Hokage allowed himself the luxury of a sigh.

"I knew you would be too open-hearted to be his teacher. Too sympathetic to his plight. But were it anyone else, I'm afraid the child would have developed into a full-blown psychopath. Thank God he's an Uzumaki. If there's one thing more resilient than their bodies, it's their spirits."

Seeing the chuunin finally composed and standing at attention, the Hokage nodded his permission to allow Iruka to speak.

"Hokage-sama, there is only so much the two of us or his four classmates can do. How much longer until the solitude and suffering fester into hate? Naruto needs a deeper sense of belonging than platitudes. He needs a family, blood-related or not."

"And so you thought it prudent to share with the entire class a small snippet of history we have expressly forbidden from being spoken of within the academy walls?" The Hokage fired back.

Before Iruka could formulate a response, the Hokage's door slid open. In the doorway stood his old rival, bandaged from head to toe, leaning on his single arm on his crutch. His one eye remained half-lidded and expressionless, starring past Iruka and straight at the Hokage. Grunting in irritation, the Hokage nodded, motioning his approval for Danzo to enter the office.

"Despite his insubordination, I believe Umino has a point. Naruto has yet to have his loyalty properly rooted to Konoha."

Danzo placed himself just behind Iruka, allowing the younger nin to shield the broken half of his body. "You've always worked in half-measures Hiruzen. I offered to make him a part of Root-"

"-which has now been disbanded," the Hokage interrupted. "We have had this discussion on many an occasion, Danzo. You will not transform that child into another one of your mindless drones."

"You squander his potential, Sarutobi. You prevented me from getting to him, from ANY shinobi getting to him, in an effort to give him a childhood. Yet you've allowed something as weak as the civilian council to undermine your efforts, and the child is no stronger as a shinobi or human because of it. At his age, he would sell his loyalty to anyone willing to give him recognition, and were it not for you, Jiraiya and Kakashi, I would have made my move already.

"If any of the other five nations knew who he was, their spies would have either assassinated him or whisked him off to be indoctrinated. Your plan has relied upon the ignorance of the other nations for too long.

"In the aftermath of the fox's attack, it was Root who hunted and eliminated the spies ready to reveal the identity of our Jinchuuriki to their respective Kage. And even now, my men still clean up Already, one of Kiri's double agents has made an attempt to get this information back to the Mizukage. If it weren't for my men, he would be halfway to the Land of Water rather than sitting in cell in T&I with Morino. It's a miracle that Tsuchigakure has yet to breech our security. I'm sure they'd be highly interested in an Uzumaki who is the spitting image of-"

The killing intent that roiled off of the Hokage dwarfed what Iruka had felt earlier. Such an instantaneous drop in blood pressure floored the scar-faced instructor, leaving him out cold on the Hokage's office floor. Four shinobi, masked and covered head-to-toe in black attire, dropped from the ceiling, backs to their Hokage as they surrounded Hiruzen.

"Despite your designs for this hat, and our differences in philosophy, I had decided to overlook your machinations because, beneath your cynicism and depravity, your only allegiance is to this village.

"But as a shinobi of Konoha, that loyalty means you are bound to my word. You will never again attempt to utter those words in my, or anyone else's presence, until this office has made its decision.

"Until that time, I will decide what is to be done about Uzumaki Naruto. You are dismissed, Shimura."

Without flinching, Danzo retreated back out through the Hokage's door. Having deemed the scene safe, one of the Anbu, face concealed behind a serpent mask, wafted smelling salts at the fallen chuunin.

Jerking awake, he blushed in embarrassment, on the floor and surrounded by the Hokage's personal guard. Unsteady and still reeling from his sudden loss of consciousness, Iruka placed one hand on his knee in an attempt to stand. His leg gave out underneath him, and he felt and arm wrap around his, jolting him into an upright stance.

"Don't be such a wimp, Teach!" Serpent joked from behind the mask, giving Iruka a solid slap to the back before taking her place alongside her other three companions. The four Anbu finally disappeared, standing by for the Hokage's next set of orders.

Alone, functionally at least, the Hokage addressed Iruka once again.

"I will grant that you and Shimura may be right on this. I have let this situation escalate into an untenable position. Naruto is not fragile, but he has borne the weight of his burden, alone, for too long. I would never dream to allow him to be molded like the rest of Root, but his sense of loyalty is too malleability, and our threats loom too large, for me to allow this to go uncheck."

"Iruka, for your insubordination, you will be temporarily removed from the academy and placed on active duty. You will also surrender a quarter of your earnings from any future missions you undertake to the Konoha treasury. You are dismissed."

The scar-faced teacher about-faced as soon as the words left Hiruzen's mouth, finding the fastest way out of the Hokage's sight.

Flicking his fore- and middle fingers into the air, the Hokage called upon the grey-haired Anbu of his security detail. Wordlessly, the man reappeared at his side, posture straight, arms at attention.

"Bring me Naruto."

Placing his hands in a tiger seal, the shinobi flickered out of existence, leaving the Hokage to gather his thoughts.

* * *

Kakashi found Naruto smack dab in the middle of the festival, huddled amongst his four friends. While vendors would usually refuse to even acknowledge his presence, the fact that he was accompanied by four clan heirs gave pause to anyone who might otherwise want to subject Naruto to unpleasantries. Whatever melancholy that had affect Naruto early seemed to have been purged, as the young Jinchuuriki was back to his animated displays of emotion. Flapping his arms and constantly pointing to the spiral on the side of his jacket, it didn't take a genius to figure out what occupied the group's current topic of conversation. Perched in the canopy, Kakashi focused his hearing on the conversation. The Hokage wouldn't mind him taking a little "extra time" to find his quarry.

"The Uzumaki clan couldn't have been that strong, Naruto!" Kiba argued back, bits of dango flying out of his mouth as he tried to juggle eating and conversing. "If they were, they'd still be around!"

Shikamaru rubbed his temples. If it weren't for Chouji enjoying the company of these two loudmouths, he would have abandoned them for cloud-watching hours ago.

"Troublesome," he whispered over to Chouji, who happily munched on his fifth helping of cotton candy. He insisted on trying one of every color.

"It took two hidden villages working together to wipe them out! Not even small ones! Big ones like the lightning idiots and those mist bastards! Let's see the Inuzuka try to hold off even one hidden village on their own!"

"If the Uzumaki are so much better than the Inuzuka, how come I can kick your ass, idiot?" Kiba retorted, grabbing Naruto by his jacket collar.

Hinata shuffled over between the two hotheads, gaze turned toward the ground and index fingers tapping one another.

"P-Please don't fight you two." Hinata pushed out in what would very generously be considered a whisper. "We're friends. We-we shouldn't be hurting each other."

"Like hell we're friends!" Naruto responded, staring daggers right back at Kiba. "This bastard is a second-tier rival!"

As Kiba raised his fist to show Naruto how painful a "second-tier" punch could be, Chouji and Shikamaru decided to intervene, pulling them away from each other.

"While I'm fine with the two of you getting us kicked out," Shikamaru started, "It'd be too troublesome to explain to our parents why weren't at the fireworks with them later tonight."

"That's fine with me!" Naruto bit out, hints of resentment peppering his voice. "It's not like I have parents!" Slipping through the Nara's arms, Naruto lunged toward Kiba, ready to pin him to the floor.

Fully expecting the tactic, Chouji grabbed hold of Naruto's overstretched arm, tossing him into a full-body throw. To add insult to injury, as Naruto landed chest-first into the ground, Chouji decided he would plop right down on top of him to prevent the situation from escalating any further.

Out of energy, and effectively having ended the fight, the five friends burst out into fits of laughter. Hinata hid her smile behind two dainty, alabaster hands, such public displays of affection unfitting of her Hyuuga upbringing. Chouji let himself off Naruto while Kiba offered a hand to his downed comrade. The blond jinchuuriki, accepted in graciously, pulling himself off the floor and giving his rival a thumbs-up.

As the five found a bench to sit on, Kiba turned his attention back to the subject at hand.

"If I'm being honest though, Naruto, how can we even be sure you're an Uzumaki?"

Naruto crossed his arms and squinted in thought, turning his attention to the canopy above. "What do you mean, Kiba?" He responded.

"I mean, look at what we know about them. The Uzumaki all have red hair and you're a blond. You're more likely to be related to the Fourth Hokage or to be a lost Yamanaka than you are to be related to them."

Shikamaru added his rebuttal. "If that mattered, you could say the same of the Hyuuga. Hinata and Neji have different shades of hair color. I don't think that particularly matters in the long run."

"But they're easily identified by their dojutsu," Chouji interjected. "Iruka sensei didn't mention any kekkai genkai the Uzumaki may have had to easily identify them by."

"And it's not like Naruto has shown any exclusive abilities either." Kiba posited.

"Y-you don't n-necessarily have to manifest a k-kekkai genkai to be part of a clan, K-Kiba." Hinata piped up. "Clans are f-filled with people w-who cannot perform or sh-show aptitude in their clan's teachings."

"So where does that leave us?" Chouji directed toward his best friend.

"Right back at the beginning, with few clues and no answers," the Nara replied.

Taking that as his queue, Kakashi flipped down from his hiding place amongst the tree tops. He jolted the group from their nonchalance, startling the five children before they quickly assumed the basic defensive stance taught at the academy. Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, cluing to the rambunctious cadets that he was not there looking for a fight.

Having finally gotten a good look at the figure, Hinata was the first to break the silence.

"P-pardon us, Anbu-san. W-we were st-st-startled by your presence."

Kakashi shrugged. "No worries," he let out in monotone. "I'm just here for one of you."

The grey-haired shinobi made his way over to the orange clad Jinchuuriki, placing one hand on his shoulder. Naruto, for his part, stood wide-eyed at the smooth display of power Kakashi had just exhibited. Before the blond could utter a word, both were gone in a flash of smoke and leaves. The four stood stunned in bewilderment, mouths agape and saucer-eyed.

Kiba was the first to break the silence.

"What do you think they wanted him for?"

Shikamaru tisked, resting his hands behind his heads before staring off to the sky.

"If I had to guess," he began, "Probably Uzumaki business."

"Then why the Anbu?" Chouji questioned.

"Putting the pieces together, I think we were told something we shouldn't have been."

"Why would any of this be a secret?" Kiba interrupted. "It's not like Iruka gave us any major information. Today was basically story time!"

"B-but we all know th-there's some big secret surrounding Naruto-kun," Hinata interjected. "We-we've seen the ways the adults have treated him. Especially the civilians."

"Whenever it comes to Naruto, my dad stays mum." Shikamaru added. "He's never even given me a clue to what it's all about."

"So what, are you saying Iruka-sensei accidentally let us into a village-wide conspiracy, and that Naruto's at the center of it?" Kiba was having difficulty controlling the volume of his voice, as the nearby villagers began exchanging whispers and glancing over in the group's direction.

Chouji wrapped his arms around Shikamaru and Kiba, huddling them closer to Hinata.

"Guys, everyone is starting to stare at us."

"You don't think-," Kiba was quickly cut off by an increasingly agitated Shikamaru.

"Whatever it is, it's too troublesome to talk about in the open." He glanced up at the sun, measuring the angle between it and the horizon.

"We have a few hours before the closing ceremony and the fireworks. I say we head to Ichiraku and talk about it away from prying eyes."

"Wh-what about Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan?"

"Old man Teuchi is one of the few adults who's shown any kindness to Naruto. He won't interrupt us while we're talking."

With plan in place, the four set off toward Ichiraku Ramen, determined to uncover the secret surrounding their exuberant friend.

* * *

"Let me get a pork-ramen as well," Chouji called toward the older ramen chef, finishing up the order the four of them had placed. The four scooched themselves over to the farthest side of the ramen stand, Chouji and Kiba electing to stand in order to give themselves a little more privacy.

"So, whatever is going on with Naruto is something all of the adults know." Shikamaru began. "They always seem to want to avoid talking about it around us, and the closer anyone is to the Hokage, the less likely they are to mention it."

"Can we assume this is ninja business?" Kiba asked.

"I think we can," Chouji answered. "Like Shikamaru said, our parents clam up or redirect every time we hint about Naruto's past. The only ones who openly talk about Naruto are the civilians, who probably aren't as exposed to the authority of the Hokage."

"But s-something as big as the existence of a h-hidden village seems too large to hide. From Iruka-sensei's s-story, Uzushiogakure must have still existed 30 years ago."

"And it's not like you can just bury that kind of knowledge in a single generation!" Kiba inserted. "We've got the clan's symbol sewn into our military's uniforms for God's sake. It's not like anyone is trying to hide it! We just didn't know about it!"

"S-so the secret itself c-can't be the existence of Uzushiogakure. It's only im-important relative to Naruto-kun."

"Which means, as far as any of the major villages know, Naruto is truly the last-known descendant of the Uzumaki clan." Shikamaru concluded. "And the only reason WE know that is because of the way everyone has been acting today."

It was Chouji's turn to ask a question.

"So why didn't the adults just play it off?"

Shikamaru clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes as he tried to will the facts into a solution.

"It has to be related to the secret surrounding Naruto. That Naruto may be the last Uzumaki only matters because of what the adults know and what we don't."

"That still doesn't explain why it would matter that Iruka revealed this non-classified history to us." Chouji exclaimed.

"May-maybe Naruto-kun himself d-doesn't know." Hinata answered. "We-we're not even shinobi yet. The Hokage probably thinks Naruto too young to know what the secret is."

"So basically, all we have is that Naruto is the last Uzumaki, and that that's important for some reason." Kiba stated.

"Iruka didn't give us much to go on," Shikamaru surmised. "The only Uzumaki we have any clear identity of is Uzumaki Mito, and we can immediately conclude that Naruto is in no way a direct descendant of that line."

"If he was, he'd be treated like royalty, just like Tsunade was." Kiba conjectured. "There's no way Naruto would have been left an orphan and without an inheritance to speak of."

"So what we know is that Naruto is an Uzumaki, but he's not a descendant of the most well-known Konohan Uzumaki." Chouji commented.

"Any way we can get our hands on a registry of Konoha's citizens?" Kiba proposed.

"That information is h-highly classified, Kiba." Hinata replied. "I don't think a-anyone under Chuunin would have access to those files."

"Great, looks like we're stuck then!" Kiba growled out in frustration. "Damnit Iruka-sensei! What kind of secret did you let us in on!"

Just as Kiba was about to share his frustration with the rest of the restaurant, Teuchi appeared with their ordered, placing four bowls of pork ramen down for the group.

"Speaking of Iruka, it seems your teacher has been quiet the popular figure today!" Teuchi remarked. "I saw him speaking with one of the Anbu earlier."

"When did you see Iruka-sensei with Anbu?!" Kiba asked.

"Just a few minutes after Naruto finished his lunch. Looked like they were in a rush. They spoke for maybe 10 seconds before taking off."

"Damn, it looks like whatever happened was important enough for the Hokage to call on him," Chouji remarked.

Teuchi noted the exasperated faces of his four customers, scrunched in consternation.

"What's got the four of you in a tizzy?" He asked. "It's rare to see all four of you preoccupied by something."

"Teuchi-san," Shikamaru implored. "Why does no one ever want to talk about Naruto?"

Teuchi cursed his luck. He had hope that it would be Iruka or Sarutobi-sama who would be the ones on the receiving ends of those questions. Of course it would fall on their friendly neighborhood ramen-chef to stonewall a group of mischievous and curious academy cadets on deepest secret in the hidden village. He wasn't a ninja damnit! How could he be? He could barely manage to convincingly sell white lies! And with both the Hyuuga and Nara heirs doing the questioning, there was little doubt he'd be able to both reveal nothing and adequately satisfy their curiosity. Shikamaru always had a way of conjuring answers from sparse pieces of information.

"See! Right there!" Kiba exclaimed as he pointed straight at the furrowed brows and tight, straight lips adorning Teuchi's face. "Why does every single one of the adults get like that? What's so special about Naruto?"

"There's a ton special about me, dog-breath!"

The five turned to find Naruto standing right outside the ramen stand, escorted by the grey-haired Anbu from earlier. Hinata shook off her shock and took stock of the blond. His patented Uzumaki smile was plastered on his face, and as far as she could tell, it was the genuine version.

"What's with the satchel?" Shikamaru inquired. "We didn't see you with it before."

"Jiji gave it to me as part of my birthday present!" Naruto heaved to pack onto the counter for all to see. Emblazoned on the front was the Uzumaki's trademark red spiral. "Cool, right!" The groups eyes were affixed to the bundle in front of them: aside from the Uzumaki symbol, a tapestry of waves, ships and gods decorated the satchel. Fujin, the wind god, exhaled a typhoon across the open ocean, threatening to capsize the fleet of boats that dared to cross these waters. A lone figure stood upon the ships bow, long red-hair flaring out in the wind, a massive scroll unfurling and sending a hurricane of its own in retort to the wind god. The stitch-work was intricate, and Shikamaru noted it was clearly the product of a master artisan. He filed that piece of information away for later.

"But you ain't seen nothing yet!" The blond continued as moved to undo the satchel's buckles.

"Naruto," his Anbu escort called. "Remember Hokage-sama's words." Naruto immediately withdrew his hands, scratching the back of his head and offering his escort a sheepish apology.

"Sorry, Anbu-san, I got a little carried away."

"W-Where d-did you go, Naruto-kun?" Hinata cut in. "We-we were worried about you!"

Kakashi interceded before his blond-haired charge let his enthusiasm get the better of him.

"Might I suggest a change of location. This isn't the kind of conversation to be having in such an open venue."

"Right!" Naruto nodded.

"So… how about we meet up you know where after the fireworks?" He proposed.

"Alright, but you better not hold out on us, Naruto!" Kiba threatened. "After the day we've had, we want some answers!"

"Yeah, for sure. I'll tell you everything jiji and I talked about!"

The five split apart, the clan heirs heading to meet their respective families in anticipation of the annual firework show to commemorate the village's triumph over the Kyuubi, while Naruto sprinted back to his apartment, satchel secured and held tightly to his chest.

He couldn't wait to start!

* * *

On the outskirts of Konoha, ensconced in the hollowed remains of a millennia-old tree, the 5 friends gathered in their "secret" base, hidden away from all except the patrolling Nara and the customary Hyuuga bodyguard who made sure Hinata was always one shushin away should her safety be compromised.

"It's still pretty sweet your dads gave us permission to use their old base," Kiba addressed to Shikamaru and Chouji.

"It makes sense if you think about," Shikamaru replied. "It's under constant patrol by the most trusted members of our clan, but gives us adequate space from the adults whenever we find ourselves in the throes of teenage rebellion."

"Jeez, I wonder how many babes your parents brought back here to have a little smooch session," Kiba interjected. His comment caused a blush to erupt across Hinata's face before Naruto replied by smacking the Inuzuka across the back of the head. Pained, Kiba began rubbing his head furiously.

"It's a secret base, dog-breath!" Naruto stated. "Of course they didn't bring girls back here. No girls allowed!"

"Well what about Hinata?" Chouji countered.

"Well, Hinata's Hinata!" The blond answered back. He wrapped his arm around the blushing Hyuuga, causing the latter's breath to hitch as she felt her crush draw her closer. "What would a princess like her want with a couple of ruffians like us?"

Hinata leaned her head back against the trees inner wall. Even in her daze, she didn't want Naruto's compliments to end.

"It's not like I'll bring Sakura-chan here once we start dating!"

And that immediately deflated any sense of self-esteem Hinata had been developing over the course of the last hour.

Eyes glazed over, it was clear to Kiba that Naruto was lost in some kind of day dream. Never one to let an opportunity like this to go by, the Inuzuka clobbered the Uzumaki's head with his own fist, vengeance for the violence meted out to him earlier. Now it was Naruto's turn to writhe around the floor in pain, frantically rubbing the sore.

"Stop being delusional Naruto! Everyone knows Sakura and Ino have the hots for Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto, recovered and with renewed vigor, spat back at Kiba.

"She'll drop that whiny, brooding loser once she's seen Uzumaki Naruto is the real deal! Who'd pass up a chance to be with history's strongest Hokage?"

"Naruto-" Shikamaru interrupted. "-You have as much of a chance with Sakura as Chouji does with Ino."

Chouji immediately spewed a mouthful of chips onto the ground.

"No way Shikamaru!" Chouji exclaimed. "There's no way she wouldn't hide my chips and make me go on a diet. I can't live like that. No Akamichi can live like that!"

"Oh come on Chouji," Kiba teased. "Anyone with eyes knows Ino's gonna grow up to be a major hottie. Put in the work now, and you can reap the benefits afterwards. Plus, your dads are friends. You already got an in!"

Chouji's face turned green, though that didn't stop him from reaching over and tearing open a new bag of chips.

"Stop teasing him, Kiba." Shikamaru chastised. "Anyway, we're getting sidetracked. We came to find out what all the fuss around Naruto is today, and it sounds like he has something interesting to tell us."

Kiba immediately turned his attention from the flustered Akimichi to the hyperactive blond.

"Yeah, that's right! You promised us some answers Naruto!" Kiba stated with a hint of accusation. "It's about time you spilled."

"Alright, alright!" Naruto replied, hands held up, palms toward Kiba in a show of reconciliation. "Jiji did give me permission to tell you guys, but you've got to promise me you'll keep everything a secret!"

"You don't have to worry about us Naruto." Chouji affirmed. "There aren't any gossips here."

The five friends circled around the table, even Kiba going quiet as Naruto began to recount his meeting with the Hokage earlier that day.

* * *

It was his first time traveling by shushin. He felt cross-eyed, feet and legs foreign as they tried to find themselves while Naruto stumbled around the Hokage's office. Kakashi announced his departure with a single nod to the Hokage before disappearing into the office's shadows. Hiruzen shifted his sights toward the young cadet, who was beginning to collect his bearings. Noticing the Hokage's gaze on him, Naruto quickly conjured a more dignified posture, right hand fixed into a salute just above his brow.

"At ease, Naruto," the Hokage called out, as he watched Naruto relax his stance and return to his more laid-back attitude. Hiruzen allowed himself a quick smile. Naurto's enthusiasm was infectious, if a little silly. Maybe he shouldn't have indulged the boy's mock fealty. It trivialized the burden of the hat to his young charge. He wondered if all Naruto saw of the position was a village-wide father figure, and he was more than a little shocked to realize he'd missed something so obvious.

"I take it you have a great many questions you'd like answered."

Naruto's smile and wide eyes constricted into a look of concentration. Hiruzen could hardly recall the last time he had seen the child so serious. Outside of the planning stages for one of his bi-monthly pranks, Naruto hardly allowed himself to focus on anything. He watched as Naruto grasped his chin with his right thumb and forefinger, stroking a non-existent beard as he tried to coalesce his feelings into a tangible thought. The seconds ticked by, eyes tight, lost in deliberation. It had been the longest Hiruzen had ever seen the boy so quiet. Crouching down, the blond crossed one leg over the other and sat upon the Hokage's carpet, stilled and quiet.

A minute passed.

And another.

The discrete, unoffending sound of his breathing was the only sign indicating that, yes, Uzumaki Naruto was indeed alive.

As their meeting reached its fifth minute, Naruto finally unclenched his eyelids and gazed back at the Hokage.

"Hokage-jiji," Naruto opened. Despite the hardened browline and unwavering stare, Hiruzen could see Naruto's bottom lip quivering, fists clenched in attempt to stop his arms from quaking.

"Who am I?"

It was finally out in the open, and frankly, sooner than the Hokage would have liked.

He could tell it had been a hard day. Hints of tar and grain coated his teeth, and the inside of his throat felt minced. He'd first picked up smoking during the first months of his first reign. Without a sensei to turn to, and with the stability of the shinobi world precarious at best, Hiruzen had found solace in a smoke with a side of solitude.

"Jiji," Naruto creaked out, breaking the Third out of his contemplation. He set his pipe down on his desk, and beckoned the young boy to come join him on his side of the desk.

Naruto stood, feet heavy with hesitance, uncertainty tingling through his legs and feeding doubt with every step he took toward the older man.

Having finally made his way to the Hokage's side, he noticed document, a half-inch thick, lying on top of a red folder. At the top left corner, he found a familiar set of blue eyes staring back at him, pearly white teeth gritted sloppily.

"These are your papers from the orphanage, Naruto." Hiruzen began.

"Officially, Uzumaki Naruto is an orphan of unknown origin, born on the 10th of October in the wake of the worst disaster that had ever befallen the village. Parents unknown, he was found, miraculously unharmed, amidst the devastation the Kyuubi no Kitsune had wrought. He has no known connections to any living Konohan's, and during the six month period since his discovery, no one has come forward to claim kinship to him.

"In accordance with Section 3.4b of the Shodaime Hokage's First Decrees, concerning the well-being of children of unknown origin, this child is to be made a ward of the state, until the child reaches the rank of chuunin, or becomes an adult per the standards set by Konoha's Civilian Council. Per Section 3.4b, Subsection I, the child will be named in honor of one Konoha's fallen clans, a memorial to the sacrifices of our comrades, and a charm with which the child may grow strong and one day rebuild that memory in his own image. The surname Uzumaki has been chosen to honor the long-standing friendship between the villages of Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure.

"Per Section 3.4b, Subsection II, following the child's ninth birthday, he shall be offered enrollment into Konoha's ninja academy. The state shall see to it that any housing, dietary, or academic needs are sufficiently met until the time he reaches the rank of chuunin or becomes an adult per the standards set by Konoha's Civilian Council.

"Uzumaki Naruto, age six months, has been deemed mature enough to be moved from the Konoha General Hospital nursery to a state-owned, civilian-run orphanage. By signing this form, the individual acknowledges the facts as communicated by this dossier, and assumes ownership concerning the execution of the aforementioned responsibilities."

Beneath the text were two names and signatures Naruto did not recognize. He sat still and kept his eyes focused on the Hokage.

"Were anyone to ask, that's the story," the Sarutobi patriarch imparted. "Were any dignitary or foreign spy looking for information on Uzumaki Naruto, that is the sum total of your history. You appeared one day, and here you are."

Hiruzen's eyes scanned Naruto's, watching his periwinkle irises flit from left-to-right, scavenging the document for any sign that what the Hokage said hadn't been true. His eyes jerked back to the top, before Naruto grabbed the stack and flipped to the dossier's second page. His eyes jolted more sporadically across this page, the corners of his mouth creasing into a flat line as he poured past words and phrases beyond his comprehension. Naruto flipped the second page, nearly tearing it from the staple. The third page was just as confusing as the second. As was the fourth. And the fifth. Until Naruto slammed the dossier down onto the Hokage's desk, crossing his arms across his chest and giving his full attention to the floor.

"So that's it, then?" his voice strained out.

"Naruto," Hiruzen called out. Naruto's eyes shifted, watching as the Third began pulling a large bundle from beneath his desk. As he set the package out, the blond noted how intricate the embroidery was: he could make out the snarling, ghoulish expression upon the face of the wind god, meandering curves stitched into wisps of wind, gathering around his mouth as he prepared to unleash another tempest upon the legion of approach ships. He could make out the gritted teeth and stinging eyes of the lone Uzumaki upon the bow, red leather scales dampened dark by the surging tides and red hair whipping freely in the wind as the warrior unleashed a whirlwind of his own from the large scroll unfurling in his left hand.

"You are only two years from graduating the academy, yet there's so much of the shinobi world you still don't understand. And to some degree, I'm happy we were able to shield you from that cruel truth. Let your generation have a longer childhood than any of your elders could have dreamed of having.

"Like most stories, Naruto, yours goes deeper than the first layer. We've just made it harder for anyone to make it past the cover story."

"I don't get it!" Naruto interrupted.

"What's so special about me? Why can't I know where I come from?"

"Because, Naruto," the Hokage fired back. "The stronger a shinobi, the more enemies he makes. Your young friend, Hinata, the heiress of a powerful and storied clan, was kidnapped at the age of 3, to be used as a brood mother for Kumogakure. Sasuke has been placed under 24-hour Anbu surveillance, to ensure that the last Uchiha is not kidnapped or killed by any foreign nations who have designs on their infamous kekkei genaki.

"Imagine the kind of danger would befall the child who happened to be the last known Uzumaki. If two large nations took it upon themselves to raze a minor village over the threat they felt it posed, what do you think these countries would do to any stragglers they managed to find?"

"What are you saying, jiji?" Naruto struck back. "That the truth was kept from me to protect me?"

The dam finally broke. Naruto felt hot tears streak down his face, unable to care who saw his mask break.

"Do you know what it's been like?" He pushed on. "Wondering every night if my parents left me because the couldn't take care of me or because they just didn't want to? Wondering if I was irreplaceable to anyone?

"The only people I ever had were people everyone else had," he continued. "Chouji, Hinata, Shikamaru and Kiba all have their families. You have the village. Teuchi has Ayame, and Iruka has the class. But me? There's been no one for me."

Hiruzen finally stood, embracing the young blond as he let the emotions deluge his walls. The gesture only seemed to intensify the outpouring as the jinchuuriki let out a bellowing wail. Small arms finally returned the Hokage's embrace.

As the wails turned to sniffles, and the tears ran dry, Hiruzen decided to finish his conversation with boy.

"Naruto," the Hokage began. "I know this has caused you a great amount of pain. I did what I thought was necessary to protect you from danger, and I won't apologize for that. Seeing you here has made me realize that I may have allowed myself to be negligent toward you, but I am also proud to see that despite this, you have still grown strong.

"For your tenth birthday, I want to give you a family keepsake. It was entrusted to me by Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage, with the promise that I pass it onto whomever Konoha's head Uzumaki would be."

Hiruzen picked up the satchel and placed it on his lap, allowing the blond to inspect the heirloom. The blond traced his hands along the broidery, hands lingering along the single clan member depicted in the tapestry. Moving onward, Naruto began to trace the crimson spiral that represented the Uzumaki clan. His eyes caught sight of two straps on either side of the emblem, each one ending in worn, golden buckles. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto tried prying the buckles open, but found them too strong to budge.

"The pack is bound by a blood seal," the Hokage lectured. Taking one finger and placing it onto the satchel, Hiruzen sent a spark of chakra, revealing complex markings arranged in an array of telescoping circles and linear scribblings stemming from the clan's spiral.

"Bite your thumb and swipe a drop of your blood across the spiral in front."

Hesitating, Naruto took a deep breath before performing as requested. Naruto's eyes remained rivetted on the buckles, watching as they slow peeled themselves open. Hiruzen placed the bag back on his desk, slowing the constants to spill out in front of them. Jars of ink, unused scrolls, and a single, leather bound book freed themselves from the confines of the satchel. Naruto clasped each with an eager hand, his senses inspecting every aspect of his new found treasures.

"As I'm sure Iruka told you, the Uzumaki were far and away the greatest seal masters the world had ever known. Mito left this in the hopes that whoever the Uzumaki had stationed here would be able to continue that tradition."

Naruto shifted his attention to the book, fingers delicately peeling back the cover and paging through its contents.

"Whether you choose to continue your family's legacy is entirely up to you. Having unlocked the blood seal, you now know that you are indeed a member of the legendary Uzumaki clan.

"However, Naruto, I ask that for your own sake, you do not reveal this information to anyone you do not feel can keep this secret. You are lucky that, unlike your other clan members, you do not share their telltale red hair color. You would have been harder to keep a secret had that been the case."

For the first time since he had entered the office, Naruto's mood had morphed into determination, conviction filling his eyes. He turned toward the Hokage. Bending at the waist, Naruto bowed his head forward, allowing his forehead to come level with his knees. He held his position for several seconds, before finally coming back up to see the surprised look on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.

Welling with warmth, Naruto allowed his customary grin to return to him, before giving the Hokage a thumbs up.

"Thanks for the gift, Hokage-jiji!" He declared. "I'm not going to let my clan down!"

"One last gift for you, Naruto!" the Hokage called out. He pulled one more item from his desk, a black, moleskin notebook absent of any distinguishing features.

"This is the personal journal of Uzumaki Ashina, regarded by many as the strongest clan head the Uzumaki ever produced, and the subject of the tapestry on your satchel." Hiruzen turned the book over to Naruto, who placed it into the satchel with the rest of his newly acquired heirlooms.

"It was discovered sometime after Mito's passing by one of my students, himself an accomplished seal master. It is not locked by a blood seal, but most of its contents are more philosophical and theoretical musings than secret techniques. I hope you put them all to good use."

"No worries, jiji!" Naruto replied. "You can count on me."

Hiruzen flicked his fore- and middle fingers into the air, Kakashi flickering into existence moments later.

"Fox, please return Naruto to his friends. I'm sure his absence has caused them an undue amount of worry."

Kakashi gave the Hokage a simple nod as he marched over to Naruto, arm outstretched and ready to shushin him back.

"Wait." Naruto called out to the Hokage. Hiruzen turned to him, anticipating his next question.

"When the day comes that you finally make chuunin, Naruto, I will reveal to you everything concerning your legacy. I promise you that. Become strong, and be someone who can defend your clan from any forces that may threaten it."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Naruto stated, raising his right arm in salute.

The Hokage gave a quick smile before nodding toward Kakashi.

"Dismissed!"

* * *

It had been several hours since the sun had hidden itself behind the Hokage Mountain, and by Shikamura's estimation, it must have been around 10 in the evening. The five, having been satisfied with Naruto's story, promised they would take his secret to their graves. Pouring out of the tree house, the group departed toward their respective homes, promising to see each other first thing the following morning.

Pajamas on and plush fox in hand, Naruto was all prepped for some shut eye when he heard a knock at the door.

Peering through his door's peephole, he could make out his scar-faced teacher, two purple boxes in hand and a party hat upon his head.

"Happy birthday, Naruto!" Iruka called out, hoping to catch the blond's attention.

Unbolting his door, Naruto through the door open and welcomed his mentor inside.

"Sorry it's a mess, Iruka-sensei! I haven't had a chance to clean this week."

Iruka took a look at the mountain full of empty ramen cups and handful of filled trash bags around strewn about the apartment, and deduced that that was hardly the case.

"Looks to me like it's been more than a month!" he teased. Naruto puffed out his cheek in a pout before knocking a few stray ramen cups from his dining table and offering his sensei a seat.

Iruka placed the two purple boxes next to one another, opening the first one to reveal an orange-frosted cake, decorated with the image of a fox.

"I'm sorry I didn't get this one to you early Naruto. A couple of things came up," Iruka apologized.

"No worries, Iruka-sensei! I've been busy most of the day too!" He pulled out the Uzumaki satchel, pulling out the various objects and relaying to Iruka the story of his encounter with the Hokage.

"Well, that's a pretty big responsibility to take on for your birthday, Naruto," the scar-faced brunet responded. "But I'm sure you'll make your ancestors proud."

"Hell yeah I will! I can't wait to start practicing making seals. My pranks will become absolutely legendary, and there won't be anything you can do to stop me!"

Naruto caught a split-second tick in Iruka's expression before the chuunin decided to nod and give him a mirthful smile. Shrugging it off, Naruto switched his attention to the second purple box Iruka has brought with him.

"So what else did you bring me, sensei?" Naruto pondered aloud as he reached for the box. Iruka quickly snatched it and moved it out of his range.

"I'm not sure I should give this to you now. I can't let you make everyone's lives harder if you plan to continue making your pranks more and more intricate."

"Come on Iruka-sensei, I'm just kidding." Iruka gave his young compatriot a faux-glare, causing the blond to sheepishly begin scratching the back of his head. "Okay, I'm MOSTLY kidding."

"Fine, Naruto," Iruka relented with a sigh. "Just don't let this come back and bite me in the butt later." The chuunin handed the box to blond, who plopped it onto the dining table and tore the top open.

"Alright! Just what I needed!" the birthday-boy exclaimed. Rummaging through, he found a brand new, master craftsman's level set of kunai and shuriken, several spools of ninja wire, and a new pair of black shinobi sandals.

"I'm glad you like them." Iruka expressed as he watched Naruto grab one of the kunai and launch it at a picture of Kiba on which he'd drawn a bullseye. Iruka rolled his eyes as Naruto shot him a smile.

As midnight approached, the two shared cake and a cup of tea before Iruka informed Naruto it was time for him to go. As Naruto headed to open the door for the young man, Iruka paused and called out to his young friend.

"What's up Iruka-sensei."

Iruka had spent several hours thinking of how to break the news to Naruto. The young jinchuuriki may be coarse in his delivery, but beneath his bravado, Naruto was still a ten-year old boy, trying to find himself and his way through life. He had decided that being direct was the only way he could do this, particularly considering how dense his young charge could be from time-to-time.

"Come next week, I will no longer be teaching at the academy."

Both figures silently stared at one another, Naruto searching Iruka for evidence of some ersatz emotion revealing what he'd said to be a huge joke.

"Don't kid around-" Naruto started.

"-I'm not kidding, Naruto." He responded. "By the Hokage's orders, come Monday, I will be back on active duty."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Naruto shot back, "Why would Hokage-jiji force you out of the academy? What would you have to be punished for…"

Naruto trailed off as he realized the full scale of the consequences of the most important day of his life.

"But Hokage-jiji said everything was okay! As long as I only tell you and the others, I should still be safe!"

Iruka exhaled, searching for an explanation.

"I am not being punished for the consequences of my actions, Naruto. I am being punished for going against an order from the Hokage. And as a shinobi of the leaf village, there is no higher authority than the word of the Hokage."

"But you can't just leave! I finally find out I belong to a family, and then you get taken away the same day? What am I supposed to do? None of the other teachers give shit about me, and most would rather see me fail out than become a decent shinobi?

"How can I hope to reform my clan and become Hokage if I can't even get someone to teach me the proper taijutsu stance, or the proper way to throw a shuriken. Hell, it's a miracle I can even throw a kunai straight!"

Iruka permitted himself a laugh at the last phrase, though he quickly moved to assuage the young boy's worries.

"Hokage-sama has a plan, Naruto. He strictly assigned me as your primary teacher because he trusted me to watch over you. He wouldn't send me out if he could not ensure that you would be getting the proper education while I'm gone."

Naruto squinted his eyes at the chuunin and frowned, still apprehensive concerning the latest turn of events.

"Do you at least know when you'll be back?" he asked.

Iruka shook his head in the negative.

"Whenever Hokage-sama deems me to have spent the respective time out in the field atoning for my indiscretion."

Naruto's apprehension turned to full blown frustration, grabbing another shuriken and launching it at his Kiba-themed dart board.

"Gaaaaah," Naruto interjected. "This sucks!"

"Yes, Naruto, it does, but I have to pay the consequences for my actions. This is just another fact of shinobi life."

"That doesn't make it fair."

"But either way, we have to accept it."

Naruto relented, knowing that Iruka was right. This was the life they had both chosen for themselves. And while it would give them the strength to forge their own paths, it also brought an intimate knowledge of loss that few outside of their ranks would experience.

"Are you leaving tonight?" Naruto questioned. Iruka gave him a small, lop-sided smile and nodded in the affirmative.

"My team leaves for the Taki border tonight."

Naruto frowned, and shuttered his eyes. Swallowing the knot forming in his throat, he quickly composed himself and rushed Iruka, pulling the chuunin into a hug.

"Watching Kiba and Hinata, I'd always wondered what it was like to have a sibling. Thanks so much for being a big brother to me, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka felt blood rush to his cheeks, and felt glad that Naruto wasn't quite able to see it.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be back to teaching before you know it."

Pulling back from his young charge, Iruka gave him one last smile before he made his way to the door.

Opening it out ward, he felt it drag an object underneath its weight, the crunch of cardboard tearing echoing down the open corridors of the apartment complex. Looking down, Iruka noticed a small crumpled box trapped beneath. Pulling it out, he noticed the box was thin but long, about three feet in length. Underneath, Iruka noted a light blue note tacked on.

Naruto stepped out through the entrance, looking left and right to see if he could catch any trace of the package's prior owner. Iruka handed the note over to the blond, who turned on the porch light in order to get a better look.

Happy Birthday Tenth Birthday, Naruto

Naruto flipped the card, finding there was nothing written on the other side, and nothing to indicate the identity of the author.

Inspecting the package for any booby traps, Iruka ascertained that the box was harmless and handed it over to Naruto.

Without wasting a moment, Naruto tore into the package, bare hands ripping the cardboard down the middle. Hitting the ground with a light thud, Naruto proceeded to turn on the hall light, revealing a black sheath with a flat handle wrapped in black bandage.

"It's a tanto," Iruka observed, picking the blade up and handing the object to Naruto.

Pulling back the sheath revealed a spotless, steel blade. Before Naruto could test out his new toy's edge, Iruka slipped the sheath back over, causing Naruto to pout in protest.

"Come on Iruka-sensei!" He shouted. "I've got all of this neat stuff I've just gotta try out!"

"You can wait until tomorrow, Naruto. You should get some sleep. It's the weekend, and you're going to have the next two days to try out all of your new presents."

Naruto snatched the blade away from the chuunin, sticking his tongue out in the process. Iruka crossed his arms and gave Naruto a pointed stare. The younger boy sighed, wordlessly relenting before taking the tanto and placing it with the rest of his newly-acquired gifts.

"Who do you think it's from?" The blond asked.

Iruka shrugged.

"Hard to say. They didn't exactly leave a calling card, did they."

Naruto scowled, shaking his head in frustration.

"Too many mysteries today, Iruka-sensei! Can't anyone just be direct?"

Iruka smiled, happy to see that the boy had returned to good spirits.

Stepping out into the porch, he turned back to Naruto with one last observation.

"Whoever it is, it's safe to stay that you've got one more person looking out for you."

He grinned and gave the blond a thumbs up, who returned the gesture before shutting the door.

Lingering, Iruka gave one last look before he set off to prepare for his mission. He was not confident this wouldn't be the last time knocking on the young boy's door.

* * *

A/N: It's been a damn long while since I've written anything, and this took a while to get on paper. I'm a bit rusty, and this probably needs more editing, but if I don't get it out, I'm afraid I'll take forever just to get it "perfect."

A few things before anyone decides they'd like to continue reading this story:

\- I'm inconsistent with my usage of honorifics. I'll try to get more consistent, but no promises. My general rule is to give priority to the flow of the phrase.

\- I really hated the God-tier level fighting in the last part of Naruto. Even when Kyuubi-powered Naruto deus ex machina'd himself to victory early on, there was at least some level of tactical forethought going on. Speaking of God-tier, the Kaguya and Zetsu reveal was some weakass writing. I don't plan on including any version of that in this fic.

\- I'll mostly end up sticking to canon pairings. I think Hinata is fucking awesome, and Kishimoto poorly utilized her. Actually, Kishimoto poorly utilized a number of his characters. Shino not making it past chuunin, Sakura practically being wasted even though she's the lead girl. And let's not even get started on fucking Neji. He deserved way better than that. RIP.

\- I have a general outline for how the structure of this fic will go, so I'll actually know what I'm doing with a fic for once. That being said, I have my hands full with my new job, so updates will usually not come less than a week apart.

\- If you see my list of favorites, you'll see that I've been on this site for a damn long fucking time. In that time, I've absorbed a countless number of fics, many of which I've only subscribed to. If you feel like I've ripped off an idea of yours, please let me know. In all honesty, there are a ton of you (whose pen-names I sadly can't keep straight) who have acted as an inspiration for this fic. Thank you for making me laugh, cry, cheer and vomit at random hours of the day for the last decade and a half. This community is awesome.

With that, thank you for reading the first chapter of Once Upon a Time in Konoha. I hope not to disappoint, and I hope you're kind enough to leave a review afterward. Flame, criticism, whatever. It's the first time in a while I've written, and I need all of the criticism I can get.


	2. Two Years Later

A/N:

I lied. I somehow crunched this bad boy out before Friday.

Thanks for your reviews everyone. It's encouraging to see a small but positive response to what I've written, and it pushes me to work harder to make sure I deliver on your expectations.

I've responded to a few reviews at the end of chapter A/N.

Thank you for reading Once Upon A Time in Konoha.

* * *

If he were to be honest with himself, he didn't know what he expected. But he would have thought that, after 2 years, something about the front gates would have changed. He didn't mean that as an insult. He had to crane his neck as far back as he could to even see the top of the familiar mint green doors. Those planks were large enough to overcome even the most towering of the forest's trees, casting long, foreboding shadows that loomed large over any potential adversaries. Yet when he first stepped under the smothering penumbra of Konoha's gates, the apprehension he'd felt was not concocted from feelings of diminution or terror, but from anxiety. Because while Konoha's perennial gates showed no signs of change over the last two years, he was certain that the people inside, the people he cared about, most definitely had. They would have changed into people he didn't recognize, with chapters to their lives that he had missed being a part of. The people he loved inhabited the same bodies, but could they even be the same people? What new loves, quarrels, friendships and resentments had they found? How had it changed them?

And, he had to admit, he too was different. But while here in the village, people had sparked romances, started families, welcomed grandchildren, started careers or accomplished lifelong goals, out there, in the field, all he did was escape from one misery to move into the next. He'd only known his latest teammates for four months, which was an adequate amount of time to assess that, yes, these guys knew how to survive, and no, it wouldn't be a waste of time getting to know them. That had been the hardest aspect of getting reacquainted to the field: getting used to the idea that the guy right next to you today might be the one in a coffin tomorrow. For the first 3 months, he'd made the mistake of befriending every single shinobi he worked with. Friendliness was in his nature. He was a teacher after all. But as the deaths piled up, the cynicism began to corrode his idealism, and before he knew it, he'd sunk into a deep depression. He didn't like anything. He didn't like anyone. He didn't like himself.

He ESPECIALLY didn't like himself. And unfortunately, that was the person he spent all his time with. His self-pity, self-loathing and pre-occupation had its cost. He had let himself get distracted, and in that split second of lost awareness, one of Ame's missing-nin was able to trigger a set of explosive seals that had been buried under the ground his team had been occupying. Unable to deploy his barrier in time, 3 of his teammates perished in the blast, and the young chuunin whom he had taken has an understudy ended up losing a leg. Iruka had initially cursed his luck that it hadn't been him who the blast had taken. But as his maimed comrade lay in bed, smiling and thankful that Iruka had saved the rest of him, he couldn't help but be reminded of the blond knucklehead he'd left behind. The one who he had promised to make it back to Konoha alive.

A year had passed, and he'd entirely expected to be pulled from active duty. He was no good at it, and he served his village best within the confines of the academy, encouraging young cadets, and instilling in them the values of the Will of Fire. But his commanding officer, a jounin by the name of Senkaku, had informed him that as a specialist in barriers, he was far too important to their operations to be sent back home. The Hokage had granted Senkaku's request to have Iruka stay for another year, by which time a proper replacement could be found.

And for that full year, it was only the promise of seeing Naruto again that had given him that extra inch in the face of death. The thought of those periwinkle eyes, alone, tears spilling at the site of his grave, pushed him to drag out those last bits of chakra he didn't know he'd had. Or muster the strength to breathe when his entire sight had gone black. A full year out in the field had let him reflect on a life he had been too close to to appreciate. He'd become comfortable with the routine of academy life, complacent with the safety and sense of duty the position had provided him. But that comfort had left him blind to the fact that, despite the accolades he'd been awarded, or the respect he'd been given, he'd never truly had a reprieve from the loneliness he'd felt since his parent's death. Naruto had been a breath of fresh air, and without realizing it, he'd come to see the prankster more as kin than as his student. And so, every time death's grim specter hovered close, it was the memory of that toothy, Cheshire grin that forced Iruka to dig one inch deeper than he'd thought he had and rip victory from the jaws of defeat.

Iruka would realize that that level of tenacity came with a price. He'd never been as close to death as he'd been five months ago when, on the border with Takigakure, the team had been order to protect the fire daimyo's daughter from bandits. A missing-nin from the Hidden Waterfall had decided he would like to ransom the girl back to her father and attacked the team right as they crossed back into the Land of Fire. As Iruka's luck would have it, the nin's abilities were quite exotic: he could burst into water droplets and coalesce back together at will. The nin had managed to defeat one of his team's jounin by forcing himself down the other man's throat and reforming himself within different parts of the man's vital organs. He'd never seen another man desiccate from blood loss, but the poor jounin had been so mangled from the inside out that the amount of fluid released in his brain had forced the eye balls to pop out of his sockets.

The four were fighting a losing battle, the three chuunin and single jonin becoming tangled and uncoordinated while the missing-nin dispersed and reformed around their attacks. Shinta, one of the team's recent recruits, caught that the shinobi would always fully reform within 10 seconds. Deducing the limits of their opponent's ability, Shinta shouted out to Senkaku, but found himself immediately preyed upon by their enemy. The observation had cost him his life, as the man dispersed and shoved himself down Shinta's throat while the Konoha-nin relayed the information. Condensing, the man ruptured Shinta's throat and lungs, killing the chuunin instantly. Their third teammate was dispatched soon after, having overextend during a strike and leaving enough time for the missing-nin to bury a kunai in his heart. Three men down, Iruka and Senkaku were left with no teammates and no other back-up to fight the Mist Man from Taki.

Targeted by the missing-nin next, and too slow to prevent him from slipping through, the man had gotten inside Iruka's barrier and was rapidly coalescing with the intention of suffocating the scar-faced chuunin. Stretched to his wit's end, sheer insanity took hold of Iruka as he tightened the size of the barrier and decided to boil his enemy and himself by releasing a B-level fire jutsu within the cramped confines of his the chakra dome. Iruka had poured so much chakra into the technique that his barrier cracked under the pressure, exploding outward and leaving the chuunin with a plethora of 2nd and 3rd degree burns. His opponent was none the better, as the droplets that had been boiled off of him had left him with a greatly slowed regenerative capability.

Wasting no time, Senkaku forced whatever chakra he had remaining into his right fist, condensing it into a screeching ball of white plasma. Driving his hand into the half-liquid form of his opponent, Senkaku cut off any chakra he had been using to condense and stabilize the orb. A fireball erupted, consuming the Mist Man and boiling away all that remained of him.

Following a heroic, 5-hour operation which left two of the base's three medic-nin suffering from near total chakra depletion, Iruka had pulled through. When Senkaku came to visit the scar-faced chuunin the next day, he presented Iruka with an immediate field promotion to Tokubetsu Jounin, and offered to put in a good word with the Hokage. Senkaku passed the newly-promoted Iruka a manila folder, informing him that he had put in orders to transfer him back to Konoha as soon as he had finished recovering.

He wished he had protested that stipulation. Recovering from muscle and near total skin loss was an endeavor of its own, especially so far away from civilization.

For four months, he had been stuck in rehabilitation. Iruka's attack had burned away several layers of muscle, which the medic-nin had had to replace through the use of autologous cell-grafting and forced-chakra maturation. Though his skills in chakra manipulation had not dulled, his strength and agility had regressed significantly. Senkaku had taken out him of the field, deeming him a liability, and had the ex-teacher doing resistance training several hours a day. Senkaku had even called in a favor to have the infamous Might Gai spend his non-mission time with them, personally assisting in Iruka's convalescence. 2 months of daily hand-walking later, and Gai had determined that Iruka had returned to a most "Youthful" state.

But in those 2 months, side-by-side, Gai and Iruka had developed a mutual respect for one another's philosophies. So moved was Gai by Iruka's determination to spread the will of fire (an enthusiasm Iruka had hoped Gai would tone down), that Gai decided to give Iruka a crash course in Taijutsu. For the remaining two months, Gai would spar Iruka 3 times per week, with the remaining time to be dedicated to working through katas and following Gai's own training regimen. Though grueling, Iruka found that he could not argue with the results.

Iruka felt stronger and more vibrant than he had at any previous point in his life. He found his movements more fluid, each combination flowing much more naturally than it had before the incident. He almost felt thankful for his brush with death. Having to relearn the basics had let him overcome old flaws and bad habits, and he was all the better for it. Though nowhere near a match for Gai, Iruka had found he was starting to catch up to his commanding officer. During one spar, he had been able to use the Headhunter technique to bury the poor fool neck deep into the earth. Senkaku had deemed it the last spar they would have.

As a parting gift, the older jounin had presented Iruka with a bottle of Fire Cognac Reserve, a highly revered liquor from the daimyo's personal collection. Flustered, the tokubetsu jounin tried vehemently to deny the gift but as Senkaku noted, he'd probably be needing a drink sooner rather than later. The job would only be getting tougher, and he'd appreciate the bottle in either celebration or remorse. With a firm handshake, the two bid each other farewell, leaving Iruka melancholy, but ready to pick-up the pieces of his life.

Seeing those unchanged gates, Iruka knew that while his apprehension was not unfounded, there was always something that made this place feel like home. It permeated everything in the hidden village. It had been hammered into him by his own academy teachers and reinforced by his parents' sacrifice in the face of a force of nature. He had passed that on to his own students, who used it to lift up one another, and bring out the best in each other. It was that extra inch he'd felt on the brink of death so many times out in the field for the last two years, and it was that same inch that made the Hokage the most feared of the five shadows. It was Konoha's Will of Fire, and after so long, it finally welcomed Iruka home.

As the doors creaked open, Iruka took one last look back at the world beyond the gates, thankful that the experienced had forced him to grow, but happy to be back right where he belonged.

* * *

A thundering pound ripped him from unconsciousness. It came rapid fire, three beats, a pause, and three more beats. His eyes creaked open, the realization dawning that the sound was coming from his front door. Naruto shot up and shifted his sight to the night stand on the right. He traced the power cord down to the floor, observing that at some point earlier in the morning, he'd knocked the alarm clock over. Cogs and wires littered the floor, and Naruto cursed the shattered remains.

The pounding came again.

BAM BAM BAM!

"NARUTO!"

BAM BAM BAM!

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET US AT THE TRAINING FIELD 30 MINUTES AGO!"

Grabbing an orange pair of shorts from his drawer, Naruto rushed to the front door, worried his friends' antics would earn him ANOTHER noise complaint.

Naruto tore the door back, leading Kiba to knock the blond-haired shinobi-to-be in the face. Naruto narrowly missed grabbing the Inuzuka's fist, pulling him in and flipping him into a sleeper hold.

"Could you quiet down, dog-breath? I've got neighbors who'd be more than happy to put in a complaint to my landlord, and you're on the verge of getting me in trouble."

Akamaru leapt out from the inside of Kiba's jacket, teeth nibbling at the jinchuuriki's arm.

Taking advantage of Akamaru's diversion, Kiba sent a soft elbow to Naruto's flank, causing the blond to release his hold on the dog-user. Kiba spun and pushed Naruto back, putting distance between the two.

"You know, this wouldn't be a problem if you'd actually shown up on time, idiot," the dog-nin started in.

"Doesn't give you the right to bang on my door and drag your dirty paws all over my floor, Kiba." Naruto gave his back to his rival as he grabbed a mop from his storage closet and began wiping up the tracks the Inuzuka had carelessly dragged in.

"Even Akamaru's civilized enough to not leave dog tracks as a guest in someone else's house," Naruto quipped.

In their scramble, Naruto had failed to notice the ever present Hinata Hyuuga, who blushed furiously in the doorway as she took in Naruto's shirtless, toned formed.

"You gonna invite the lady in Nar?" Kiba called out, a small blush forming across the blond's face as he noticed her staring at him.

"Oh, sorry Hime," Naruto apologized, rubbing the back of his with a hint of embarrassment. "I know you're kinda modest. Let me go throw a shirt on real quick."

Naruto propped his mop against the closet's door handle, nonchalantly pushing the door to his bedroom behind him as he began to rummage through his dresser for his favorite shirt.

"So…" Kiba started in a low voice. "You ever gonna tell him?"

Hinata's face turned an Uzumaki red as she stuttered out her reply.

"Pl-please don't start this here Kiba-kun. H-he might overhear…"

Kiba smirked to himself.

"Whatever you say, _Hime-chan._"

Hinata's face couldn't possibly get redder, but she'd felt her cheeks burning even hotter than earlier. She quickly took a seat next to Kiba, burying her head in her hands as she tried to hold back her ever-spiraling embarrassment.

Kiba, satisfied with his daily matchmaking, turned his attention to the friendly blond.

"I still can't believe you actually mopped up my grime." He called out to the young jinchuuriki. "Scratch that, I can't believe this place is so organized! I don't see any loan ramen cups strewn on the floor!"

"Rule number one of Uzumaki Ashina!" the blond replied through the door.

"Organization and preparation are a seal master's best friend," Kiba droned back. "Jesus, that journal did a number on you."

Naruto kicked the door open, a small, crimson satchel in one hand, a bag of trash in the other, and a paint brush held between his teeth. A navy blue shirt covered his torso, with a red band wrapped around the sleeve of his left arm.

"You should try a little organization some time, Kiba." Naruto growled out between grit teeth. He opened the back door out to his balcony, tossing the trash bag down into the apartment complex's lone dumpster. "It did wonders for me."

"Yeah, certainly turned you into a tight ass. No wonder Sasuke and you have started to get along."

"At least I have a tight ass, dog-breath."

Kiba got up, ready to clap back when Hinata cried out between muffled hands.

"B-boys, I c-can't take any more of this. Can we please just go?" Akamaru barked in agreement, skittering over to the young Hyuuga in a show of solidarity.

Unable to say no the the BOTH of them, Kiba chuckled, and pointed his thumb towards the door.

"Sorry Hime-chan. Old habits die hard." Naruto gave her the patented Uzumaki grin, unknowingly exacerbating the situation.

Hinata nodded, bolting to the door and throwing it open, making her escape before Naruto could see the blush that had blossomed across her face. Akamaru soon followed after, the young pup eager to engage in a game of tag with his second-favorite human.

"You know, Nar," Kiba said as he crossed the threshold to front porch. "No matter how much you've changed, it's always nice to see how dense you still are." He bolted off, running past Hinata as Naruto scrambled to lock the door behind him.

Shoving the jangling fox-shaped keychain into his pocket, Naruto gave chase to his childhood friend.

No matter how much some people grow up, there are some things that just never change.

* * *

"Jeez dobe, 45 minutes late," Sasuke jabbed as he saw the Inuzuka, Uzumaki, Hyuuga and Akamaru enter the training field. "That's not like you."

"You obviously didn't know 'pre-journal Naruto', _Sasuke-kun_." Kiba jabbed back. Sasuke clicked his tongue and focused his attention on Naruto, rolling his eyes at the bait the dog-nin had laid out for him.

"You're gonna have to try harder _dog-breath._" Sasuke replied, smirking at the rise he got out of the now heated Inuzuka. "You're not even worth a warm-up spar," he shot back, moving in for the kill.

"Let me knock this _teme_ down a few pegs, Kiba," Naruto cut in. "You can have the seconds."

Seeing the distraction, Sasuke decided to make his move, somersaulting backward and launching a string of five kunai at the blond.

Naruto drew a scroll from his crimson satchel, unfurling and whipping it at the wave of offending weapons. The scroll sucked each of them in, before Naruto snapped the scroll shut and backflipped to avoid an oncoming hail of fireballs.

Like Sasuke had expected, Naruto had dodged toward Sasuke's left in order to avoid the barrage. Firing through six hand seals, the Uchiha prodigy lifted his hands to his lips before expelling a ball of fire from his throat.

_"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"_

The Naruto in front of him burst into a puff of smoke, prompting Sasuke to reflexively deliver a kick behind him, catching the real Naruto in the abdomen and pushing him back. Grabbing Naruto's out-stretched hand, Sasuke flipped the blond over his shoulder and thrust him into the ground, causing the Jinchuuriki to expel a lungful of air out in a gasp.

Pressing his advantage, Sasuke wrapped his legs around Naruto's grasped right arm and threw himself on the ground, placing the Uzumaki in an arm bar.

Naruto was at his most dangerous when his writing hand was still in play, so Sasuke had made it priority number one to neutralize that threat.

Even without his right arm, Naruto wasn't helpless. Breaking out a scroll from his left pocket, Naruto opened it and unleashed a gust of wind from its contents, sending both boys flying off of the ground.

_Rule Number One of Uzumaki Naruto, always have a plan straight out of left-field._

But having sparred with the blond for the last year and a half, Sasuke knew that if Naruto was nothing else, he was crafty. For good measure, Sasuke had wrapped ninja wire around the Uzumaki's right hand, allowing him to always be in Taijutsu range.

Coiling the wire around his fist, the Uchiha yanked the cable as hard as he could, destabilizing the Uzumaki as he landed, causing the blond to trip and hit the ground face-first.

As he began to stand up, Sasuke was immediately upon him, grabbing the back of Naruto's head with his left hand and bringing it down on his knee.

Naruto slipped his hand between his nose and Sasuke's knee, cushioning his face from the full extent of the damage. Naruto held onto the knee, pushing it back just enough to destabilize the Uchiha and causing him to fall backward. Wire slack, Naruto used his right hand release the scroll fastened to his right hip, unleashing the barrage of kunai Sasuke had launched at him earlier.

No time to dodge, Sasuke raised his own kunai and parried two of the oncoming projectiles away from his body. Too late, he noticed that the general trajectory of the kunai hadn't been toward him, but the ninja wire that connected the blond and brunet. Sasuke cursed, having lost the hard fought advantage he'd had over the wily Uzumaki. The Uchiha was surprised at how formidable Naruto had become over the last several months. Sasuke had never tired out this quickly during one of their spars, and this time, the blond was really making him feel it.

Sasuke took stock of his reserves. Usually, he had enough chakra for four fire jutsu before he was left with just enough for basic functions. He had to think on the fly. Giving Naruto time was a losing strategy, and the one absolute advantage he had over the blond was in Taijutsu. Closing the distance, Sasuke dug two kunai out from his pouch and flipped them into a reverse grip. He swiped mercilessly at Naruto, preventing the aspiring seal master from reaching for his brush.

Sasuke had left just enough of an opening to bait Naruto into aiming a punch straight at his face.

The blond took it hook, line, and sinker, launching a wild punch where Sasuke's face should have been. The brunet leaned back, aiming a kick that launched the blond jinchuuriki into the air. Recognizing that this was the best chance he would get, the Uchiha flew through the six hand seals for the _Gokakyu no jutsu_, launching a flame straight at the blonde.

As the first fireball shot out toward Naruto, Sasuke ran through the same six seals again, aiming a bit lower. However, as he brought his hands to his mouth, the jutsu caught in his throat and petered out.

Fuck. How'd he run out of chakra already?

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke caught the green glow of seal array tattooed on his knee. Zapping it with a tiny spark of chakra, the array decayed into singed, peeling ink. Sasuke felt his reserves stabilize, and he realized that Naruto had gotten him with a draining seal. Naruto had never slapped him with a seal in the middle of a fisticuffs, but he figured the blonde would eventually have to get around his weakness to taijutsu somehow.

However, as unexpected as that trick was, Sasuke wasn't called a prodigy for nothing. Even when his first planned had failed, he had already had a back-up unfolding. In the scramble of their earlier grapple, Sasuke had pocketed one of Naruto's most reliable tools: his single medium-sized scroll. The only one he had that could absorb the _Gokakyu no jutsu._ Stranded in mid-air, a scorching missle of fire flying at his face, Naruto's bag of tricks lay empty, Sasuke's plan coalescing into a checkmate.

But Sasuke's confidence turned to concern when, as the fireball approached, Naruto's face did not betray an inch of panic.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Naruto was actually… smirking?

The expression didn't look quite right on Naruto. Maybe they needed to hang out less.

In the distance, Sasuke could see Naruto bringing his hands together, running through four different hand seals.

Wait… what the hell did Naruto know that required hand seals?

Bringing his hands to his lips, a torrent of water erupted from Naruto's mouth, drowning out the fireball and heading right for the last Uchiha.

_That crafty bastard. That was the last thing I expected._

Making a note that Naruto had now added water jutsu to his arsenal, Sasuke braced himself for the oncoming deluge. He was swept off his feet and carried several meters back by the unrelenting stream. Coughing, and with only enough chakra to prevent him from fainting, Sasuke signaled his surrender.

The stream stopped, as he heard an ecstatic Naruto whoop over the hard-earned victory.

"That's another win for me Sasuke-teme!" the blond cried out. "Before you know it, I'll have evened up the odds!"

"Hey Naru-chan," Kiba called out from below. "What was it Uzumaki Ashina used to say about gloating after a win?"

"Bite me, dog-breath!" The blond yelled, making his way toward Sasuke and offering the brunet a hand.

"Rule Number 3 of Uzumaki Ashina!" Kiba hollered back out. "Always be gracious in victory!"

Sasuke ignored the proffered hand, using his knees as support and pushing himself up from the ground.

"Shit, I'm still working on that one, alright!" Naruto argued. Though Sasuke had ignored the hand-up earlier, Naruto extended his hand for a quick shake.

"Thanks for the battle, teme."

Sasuke glanced at the hand, weighing his options. The blond had grown on him, but he still wasn't much for shows of affection. Even handshakes. He left the Uzumaki hanging, instead deciding to stare him right in the eye.

"Maybe once you're really my equal." He bit out.

Naruto took back his hand and flashed Sasuke a thumbs up.

"So at the rate I'm going, I can expect one in the next few months?" Naruto hit back.

"Alright lovebirds, it's my turn!" Kiba interrupted. He walked up to the drenched Uchiha, taking up a fighting stance. "You ready Sasuke, or are you gonna wimp out on me?" he taunted.

"You must be an undiscovered level of stupid to think I'd be up for a fight right now." Sasuke clapped back.

Kiba reached into one of the pockets of his utility belt, grabbing a spherical red pill and tossing it out to Sasuke.

Fighting Kiba didn't push him as much as fighting Naruto, but he did offer the Uchiha a better taijutsu sparring partner. Relenting, he swallowed the soldier pill, feeling his reserves fill back up to full. He took up a more defensive stance than the one he used against Naruto, legs slightly bent and ready to absorb any attack the Inuzuka could throw at him.

"Alright, Inuzuka, let's see what you and your dog are made of."

* * *

He hadn't seen the Hokage since that fateful afternoon several years ago, and the last memory he had of the man was anything but pleasant. He didn't resent the man. He'd brought this fate upon himself. But every time he thought back to that moment in the tower, he remembered being inundated by the man's killing intent, drowning in a situation beyond his comprehension. It was the hardest lesson he'd had to learn during his time as a shinobi: be very careful of what you wade into. Danzo had hinted that there was something much deeper than Naruto's status as a jinchuuriki, and it had pushed Hiruzen into angriest fit Iruka had ever witnessed. He had been too pre-occupied over the last two years to give the situation much thought, and even now, he'd rather not poke the proverbial bear lest he find his way back into more unexpected trouble.

Iruka gave the door a quick knock, and was beckoned in by the Hokage's warm, familiar voice. Gathering himself, he pushed out the last of his anxieties with a quick exhale and made his way through the door.

There he sat. The architect of his misery, Iruka thought with a hint of sarcasm. It was fitting that the Hokage, much like the village's walls, showed no evidence of change since he'd last seen him. Unlike his previous visit, the Third's gaze was soft, the corners of his lips inching upward into a mirthful smile.

"Please," the Hokage gestured toward the chair opposite his side of the desk, "Iruka, take a seat."

As the scar-faced shinobi made his way to Hiruzen, he took of the changes he noted in Iruka's appearance. His steps were measured, as though everyone could be the inch between life and death. Whereas Iruka had previously stood ever so slightly hunched forward, he now jutted his chest over so slightly forward, his easygoing demeanor sharpened into self-respect and self-awareness. Hiruzen noted the bandages that coursed up his arms, disappearing beneath the short sleeves of his shirt, no doubt covering the scars left as a result of the marathon surgery performed to save his life. His eyes were a touch harder, wonder having been replaced resolve, a transition many a shinobi undergo on their way to the upper echelon of skill. Despite all of this, Iruka's breath still betrayed a very tiny rattle as he first stepped into the room, no doubt from the anxiety of the first meeting in two years. Were he in Iruka's shoes, he might be scared too.

However, as he made his way closer to the Hokage, Iruka's confidence began returning. Happy to have traversed the first stage of their reunion, Iruka made his way to the proffered seat with calm, practiced steps.

"I'm glad to see you in good health." The Hokage opened. "Senkaku's report left we me worried that your disability would be permanent. Not many a shinobi survive that level of damage, let alone come back stronger from it."

Iruka shuddered, remembering having his skin and muscles seared until they revealed the bone buried beneath. His nerves had been so agitated by the blast that could feel the electrical signals shoot up his spine, screaming to his brain that this was about to hurt very, very badly.

"I was lucky, Hokage-sama," Iruka responded, pushing the memory back into his subconscious. "The medic-nin at the Taki outpost were my salvation, and I could not have recovered without the support of Senkaku-san and Gai-san."

Hiruzen gave Iruka a quick nod before turning his attention to the set of papers before him. He opened the top file on his desk, flipping through the pages until he landed on what seemed to be his most recent field report.

"Senkaku gave you a field promotion to Tokubetsu Jounin, sending his recommendation that I make it permanent."

The Hokage begin flipping forward through his file, reading the reports in reverse order.

"Given the hardships you've overcome, in particular having taken down a variety of dangerous missing-nin and protecting Konoha's interests abroad, I would be hard-pressed not to concur with your commanding officer's assessment.

"Congratulations Umino Iruka, on your promotion to Tokubetsu Jounin. I trust you will fulfill your new responsibilities with the same aplomb you've shown as a chuunin."

Hiruzen stood, with Iruka following the Third's lead. Bringing his right hand to his brow, the Hokage saluted the officially minted Tokubetsu Jounin, who returned it with a fierceness he had not exhibited two years ago.

Hiruzen released his salute, Iruka following suit. Picking up a green folder from his desk, he handed over to the younger man.

"Before I go briefing you on your new assignment, I believe a re-orientation is in order," the Hokage began. "Come, let's go visit your old place of employment."

* * *

The three cadets made their way down Main Street, pushing past the weekend's busy shoppers, trying to make it across town in time for their meeting with Ino and Sakura. It was rare for the group to visit the Konoha public library, but once word had spread amongst the group that Naruto was going to be doing some… historical research into Konohan clan histories… the class gossip invited herself onto their little expedition. Something about never missing an opportunity to be the first to hear (spread) the latest in the village's juiciest news.

And it was a rare moment when Ino _didn't _drag her pink-haired, Brainiac of a best friend along. Though Sakura wouldn't admit to it, the story of the Uzumaki clan had tickled her hunger for a good mystery. That, and since Naruto had dropped his obsessive compulsion to nag a date out of her, she'd found the blond to actually be pleasant company. That was another thing she'd never admit publicly.

Kiba and Sasuke's unscheduled spar had left the trio running behind schedule, and the boys had elected to Hinata group leader. The Byakugan wielder cut through the congested streets on their way to the east side of town. Akamaru had taken up residence in Hinata's jacket, seeking respite from the frustrated rantings of his human partner.

Kiba let out another curse as he found himself stubbing his toe against another rock, falling a few steps behind as he paused to catch his balance. The ice-pack he held to his right eye had been obscuring his vision, but he'd rather suffer the indignity of a few stubbed toes than letting the bruise get any bigger. Underneath, Kiba could feel the dull ache of the shiner Sasuke had left behind, courtesy of a left-handed hook the Uchiha had hidden behind a veil of fire from his _Gokakyu no jutsu. _

"Damnit, what a time to head to the library!" Kiba cried out in frustration.

"I should be using this time to train with my clan. I can't let that bastard keep beating me like this!" Kiba yelled, tossing his ice pack on the ground while the crowd parted, giving the Inuzuka a wide berth to vent his frustrations. Lost in self-pity, the distracted dog-user slipped on his own ice pack, flung into the air and falling flat on his back.

"Shit!" His cheeks burned rosy with embarrassment, the gaffe adding insult to injury. Akamaru hopped out from the inside of Hinata's jacket and swiftly bounded over to his partner. Hinata halted her run, looking back towards the dog-user. Kiba laid there, in the middle of the busy street, no damns to give as the crowd fumbled around his collapsed form. The ninken nudged his partner's cheek, a short, high-pitched whine emitting from his mouth as he licked the young cadet's face.

Kiba slowly reached over, half-heartedly scratching the top of Akamaru's head. The dog inched closer, and Kiba wrapped his arms lightly around his small frame.

"It's not your fault, boy" he whispered to his friend. "It just feels like I haven't made any progress at all."

"Y-you shouldn't compare yourself to S-Sasuke like that, Kiba-kun." Hinata opined.

"Y-You wouldn't be the third best in our class if y-you weren't improving."

"Third-best is just second loser," Kiba replied, standing up and dusting the dirt off his shorts.

"Even Naruto is starting to turn up the win-ratio against Sasuke."

"What do you mean _even Naruto_, dog-breath?" Naruto replied as he joined the group.

Kiba sent an irritated glare at Naruto, eyes narrowed and a sigh escaping from his lips. He looked away, staring at the small pile of golden-tinged leaves circling the base of a nearby tree.

"Two years ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine you two would be duking it out for Rookie of the Year. Hell, you were at the bottom of the class."

Kiba turned away from his friend group, plopping himself down on a nearby bench and watching a burst of cool autumn breeze blow away the pile of leaves.

"Then, you got that journal, and everything changed. You started paying attention in class. You started beating Chouji in spars. Your apartment was spotless, and you even started joining Shikamaru for shogi after class."

Kiba turned his gaze back to his friends, their eyes silently staring back, mouths slight agape, lost for words. Kiba smirked to himself. He would have never expected that out of Naruto.

"I guess that's the world's wake-up call," Kiba pondered aloud, picking himself up and walking back toward his friends. "If hard work can turn a loser like you into a Rookie of the Year material, it should do wonders for me."

Naruto grinned, giving his rival their customary thumbs up. Kiba gave a grin back, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Sorry Nar, but Imma go home and get some training with my mom in. She's been hounding me to take things more seriously, and it's about time I did." Kiba pivoted back toward Main St., Akamaru following closely behind. "Besides, fourth year assignments go out in two days, and I'd rather spend my time getting ready for it than with my nose in a book."

"Don't think I'm gonna let the three of you stay ahead of me for long." He called back.

As he disappeared amongst the crowd, Hinata turned to her long-time crush, concern brimming in her eyes.

"D-do you think he'll be okay?" Hinata asked. "I've n-never seen him like that before."

"Yeah." Naruto replied, uncertainty obvious in his tone. "When hasn't he been."

The two gave one last look in their friend's direction before heading off themselves, lost in thought as they journeyed toward the library.

* * *

For his first real surprise of the day, Iruka was startled to see that there were _even_ _less_ academy students than when he had left his post. He had heard it through the grapevine down at the outpost that recruiting back home had started to become an issue, but he hadn't imagined the student population had dropped by nearly _a third!_

Looking upon one of the training fields, Iruka noted Mizuki leading a much smaller class of cadets in performing a kata. Iruka squinted in the direction of the field, trying to better assess the situation. He heard a foreign sound emanate from their direction, and as he looked closer, he could see that… Oh God, was Mizuki _actually smiling?_

Of all the things he'd had expected to see changed in the village, that had certainly not been one of them.

"Surprised, Iruka?" The Hokage interrupted in an amused tone.

"I've just never seen Mizuki genuinely happy to be teaching," he responded, the sheer shock of the sight making him forget his well-practiced politesse.

The Hokage chuckled before turning back to address Iruka.

"In your absence there have been a great many changes in our shinobi system. Your single act of insubordination awakened me to the fact I had grown too lax in the way I had been handling my responsibilities as Hokage. Old age is not an excuse I can allow myself for having let certain situations continue to fester and degrade. With that in mind, I decided to restructure the military academic system. Needless to say, morale is up, performance has improved, and we have successfully implemented a much more efficient system of education."

As they entered the academy, Iruka was caught off guard by the lack of activity on the first floor of the building. Desks were neatly arranged, and blackboards were empty of writing or chalk dust. The scar-faced shinobi noted the time of year, remembering that it was around November when the fourth-year academy students graduated and underwent the genin exam. In their absence, the transitioning first, second, and third-years would shift into their new classrooms.

"I have decided to take a more active role in the evaluation of our shinobi-in-training," Hiruzen continued. "I have instituted a quarterly review of all of the academy's cadets and created incentivization by tying an instructor's salary to their student's quarterly performance. I personally assess each of the cadets, so as not to allow for favoritism or corruption to blemish the results. Furthermore, sabotage of a cadet's academic career is taken as a serious ethical violation, with immediate dismissal and heavy fines imposed to any instructors found guilty."

"Good morning Hokage-sama," a brunette and an ashy-haired kunoichi greeted in unison, bowing to the village patriarch. Iruka did not recognize either of them, though that did not stop him from offering a silent nod in greeting. They offered him a quick smile before continuing down the hall, talking amongst themselves about where they would be heading during the winter intercession.

Reaching the training fields behind the academy, Iruka noticed that the old open spaces had been replaced by new target ranges. A group of six new third-year cadets stood around a black-haired male shinobi. He proceeded to show them a sequence of six hand seals before launching several flames into the air. Each flame targeted a different straw dummy, igniting each and quickly leaving behind a pile of ash.

"You're teaching third year academy students the Phoenix Fire technique?"

"You would be surprised what the students are capable of whenever their instructors have more time and attention available to give to them," the Hokage replied to the skeptical ex-teacher.

"Is it wise to make teaching a C-ranked technique an official part of the curriculum, Hokage-sama?" Iruka questioned back. "It might just happen to be that the individuals constituting the class are on average very adept at chakra manipulation."

"While at first I shared some of your hesitance, it was Ebisu who actually believed that after reprioritizing our academic resources, we would be able to more quickly nurture each student's potential."

"Hokage-sama," Iruka interrupted. "I keep hearing you mention reprioritization and smaller classes, but I'm lost as to what that actually means."

The two men turned back inside, right as two new second-year students burst out the doors, sprinting over to join the rest of their classroom. Hopping into formation, he realized they were a part of the classroom Mizuki had been leading through the kata earlier.

"Allow me to expIain," the Hokage began. "I have instituted a more aggressive approach to the culling of inadequate trainees. Upon review with Ebisu, we discovered that many of the cadets in the bottom quartile of their class are disproportionately killed in action when compared to those in the upper seventy-five percent. Upon further analysis, it was shown that nearly seventy percent of those in the bottom third who were killed as genin came from civilian families. We ran this analysis on the children from ninja families and observed a post-academy catch-up.

"In conjunction with the Civilian Council, we came to the conclusion that civilian-born cadets who are in the bottom quartile at the end of their first year and second years should be sent to civilian trade schools to avoid unnecessary loss of life. The Civilian Council concurred on the premise that such loss of life equated to an unaccounted opportunity cost that could lead to an economic windfall once properly addressed.

"This has allowed us to devote more resources to the cadets who have shown aptitude for the ninja arts. Second year classes have been reduced from 27 students to 21 students, with that number whittled down to 15 students per classroom by the beginning of the third year."

The two made their way back out of the academy, turning to see Mizuki finishing his lesson and ushering his group of young second year students back into the academy. Seeing such a change in his former colleague sparked a flicker of jealousy in the older instructor, envious of the changes the once resentful instructor had had the opportunity to experience at the academy.

"Iruka," the Hokage addressed. "I'm sure you've begun to wonder why this old man has prattled on for the last hour about the new academy system and what it has to do with you and your new assignment.

"Let me ask you, what else have you noticed missing from the academy while on our tour?"

The first thing that came to mind was the number of students. It was obscenely small. Compared to two years ago, the academy was a ghost town. While he had taken into account the now-graduated fourth years and the incoming first years, there were still too few people in that building. He had seen that class of transitioning second-years practicing a kata with Mizuki, and a small group of transitioning third-years learning how to perform the Phoenix Fire technique with that dark-haired chuunin, but he had not run into any of the transitioning fourth-years yet.

"The fourth years aren't in the building," Iruka answered confidently. The Hokage nodded in response.

"Perceptive, Iruka."

"But what will we be doing with those fourth years? Has the academy standard been reduced to three years?"

The Hokage shook his head in the negative.

"While Ebisu and I had considered the possibility, that sort of drastic change would not be implemented for several years, once we're certain that this curriculum can adequately train cadets into genin-level shinobi within a three-year time period.

"What we've decided to implement is actually an idea that we borrowed from the civilian workforce. Before finishing their formal education, many of the civilian students are offered a position with a company to help mature all of their theoretical knowledge into a practical skill. The civilians term this year an "internship," after which the student is adequately prepared to practice their craft.

"Similarly, we believe that preparing the fourth years for their time in a three-man cell may increase passage of the genin-exam and reduce the number of individuals who are forced to take any remediations.

"Ebisu specifically asked that once you return, you be promoted to Tokubetsu Jounin to help him implement this plan. Apparently, you were one step ahead of us and fulfilled that prerequisite on your own."

The Hokage turned toward Iruka, mouth set into a straight line, eyes having replaced their mirth with an quieting gravity.

"This part of the curriculum is still in its experimental phase," the Hokage retorted. "A number of parents were concerned that this change was too abrupt and may have a negative impact on the development of their children's skills. I have made several promises that this will work, and that we will produce stronger shinobi because of it.

"I have chosen you for this because, in all my years as Hokage, few have had the kind of talent you possess for instruction. Your students, even those who only had you for a year, still thrive under the guidance of different instructors. You leave an indelible impact on each of your students, and for this kind of project, you are exactly the kind of teacher we need."

Iruka took a glance down at his folder, its contents sealed by a chakra-sensitive tape. He could already guess one of the names that would be present in the dossier.

The Hokage placed a firm, reassuring hand upon Iruka's shoulder.

"You know that, no matter what's changed about him, he's still fundamentally Naruto. And you're still fundamentally Iruka. The boy sees you as family, and he'd do anything for his family."

Before he could press the Hokage for more information, the Third vanished in swirl of leaves.

Iruka cursed, hoping he'd find out something about the blond-headed cadet before he'd have to confront him himself. The Hokage's words reassured him, but it was more than just seeing Naruto that made him nervous.

His hometown now felt foreign. Sure, the landmarks hadn't changed. The academy still LOOKED the same. But once he'd looked inside, everything had felt like a facsimile. Hollow, without the meaning and warmth it had once held for him. And slowly, the rest of the village had begun to feel that way as well. Old shops with new owners, new kids in old neighborhoods. Hell, new neighbors would beget new habits, as he'd have to make pleasantries all over again, and learn the living habits of those who lived in the adjacent apartments.

He pushed those doubts aside. Priority number one was reading this dossier and its contents. Which meant he would need to make a stop for coffee and snacks. Heading toward his apartment, Iruka made a note to stop by the store three blocks from his place. At least, that was where he remembered the closest convenient store being. It would be terribly inconvenient if it had been moved. He'd prefer that none of today's remaining surprises take a turn toward the inconvenient, coffee stops included. He had a long night of reading ahead, and he'd rather get it done sooner rather than later.

He'd never imagined readjusting would be so hard.

* * *

"Took you guys long enough!" the blonde-haired female admonished, Hinata shifting her gaze to the floor and muttering an apology while Naruto crossed his arms and confronted the young Yamanaka.

"Didn't you invite yourself into this, Ino?" Naruto interrogated, eyes light blue eyes boring into the teal ones of his blonde counterpart. Ino stared right back, unflinching, before turning her back to Naruto and allowing her ponytail to smack him in the face.

"Oh come on now, Naruto, don't be like that! Who else amongst your friends is any good at recon?" Ino teased, voice saccharine with a hint of mischief.

"I'd hardly term your gossiping 'recon,'" Naruto teased back, enjoying the escalating banter.

"Two years and next to zero leads, Naru-chan!" Ino continued. "Face it, whatever info you want, you're gonna have to work people for."

Naruto guffawed, earning a sharp look himself a sharp look from Ino.

"Why do I get the feeling you're the last person in the village who should be teaching how to charm?"

Despite her sometimes-prickly exterior, Ino actually had a heart of gold. And clever to boot. Where Sakura was academic and bookish, Ino made-up for it in street smarts. You couldn't teach the way she understood the human psyche. Maybe it ran in the Yamanaka genes.

Her eyes softened, a sly, fox-like smile spreading across her face. Cool as a cucumber, Ino launched her next repartee.

"I don't think you're one to talk about charm, Naru-chan. You couldn't even get a billboard brow like Sakura to go on a date with you."

"Hey, you leave me out of this, Ino-pig!" The pinkette growled, snapping her book shut and staring daggers at her platinum-haired best friend.

"SSSSSSSSHHHHH!" The librarian hissed at the four, leaving Sakura and Hinata apologizing profusely while trying to keep Naruto and Ino from killing each other.

"Damnit you two," Sakura whispered. "Can't you keep it down for once!? I for one am not looking to get kicked out of this library anytime soon."

Emerald eyes pierced accusingly into periwinkle ones. "You should be more respectful, Naruto. I'm spending my last free Saturday before assignment helping you do research on your family. The least you could do is not get us into trouble."

Naruto closed his eyes and returned a sheepish smile, waving his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!" the blonde replied. "I'll keep it down."

Sakura sighed, shaking her head in surrender before returning to her book.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that, Naruto?"

"Old habits die hard." The blond responded. "You can expect I'll be calling you that until I'm in my death bed. Just like Hinata will always be my Hime-chan."

Hinata's face decided it would be the perfect time begin impersonating a tomato. Light-head, she sat herself down at the table, and quickly sought to distract herself by focusing her attention on a book.

"Jeez, Naruto, how dense can you be?!" Ino unleashed in exasperation. "You're going to cause that poor girl to have a heart attack one day, and you can't even have the decency to understand how she feels?'

"How she feels?" Naruto shifted a quizzical gaze toward the beet red Hyuuga heiress, eyes devouring every detail of her, taking note of the intensifying flush overtaking her face.

"Oh my God…" Naruto whispered out, realization striking. "Hinata, you're sick!"

Naruto rushed over and placed a hand on her forehead, worry etched on his face as he felt the heat emanating from her body growing stronger and stronger.

"You're burning up, Hime-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, the librarian eyeing him dangerously as he continued to grow louder.

"We've got to get this jacket off of you!" He shouted, trying desperately to pull her trademark coat off.

"Seriously?" Sakura whispered over to Ino. "I thought he'd gotten a lot smarter over the years."

Ino turned to her best friend, nose upturned and smiling in triumph.

"Just enjoy it for what it is, forehead. This has been the funniest thing I've seen this month."

Sakura watched as Naruto grew increasingly exasperated by his inability to get Hinata's jacket off, failing to notice that it was the Hyuuga heiress trying her damnedest to make sure it STAYED on.

Smiling, Sakura allowed herself a melancholy chuckle. Some part of her wished she had someone she was close to like that. Though all of her was glad that that person was DEFINITELY not Naruto. No matter how much he changed, to her he'd always be that blond loudmouth, desperate for attention.

And watching as Naruto and Hinata continued their little tug-of-war, she saw that in some ways, he always would be.

* * *

A light squeak echoed through the hollow corridors created by the library's stacks. The cart felt like it hadn't been maintained in years, and it was forcing Sakura to throw her full weight behind pushcart just to inch in forward. Turning toward the row of desks, she was finally able to make out her three friends, each hunched over and diligently navigating through the contents of their respective books.

Hinata caught sight of the struggling pink-ette and made her way over to the defiant pushcart. Adding her weight to Sakura's, the pushcart screeched in protest as the pair pushed it to their final destination.

"Thanks Hinata," Sakura whispered, wiping the small drops of perspiration from her forehead and pausing for a moment to catch her breath.

"N-no problem Sakura." Hinata answered back. "T-Thank you for getting those books for us."

Naruto's eyes ran over the stack of tomes Sakura had gathered from the stacks, eyes raised in incredulity.

"Really Sakura? We haven't even made it through the ones here," the blond complained.

Sakura fixed her gaze at Naruto, eyes narrow and lips flat. She exhaled in irritation, before grabbing a book of the cart and shoving toward the jinchuuriki.

"I think we started this thing all wrong," Sakura explained to the group.

"It's like Shikamaru first said. For whatever reason, knowledge of the Uzumaki has been intentionally buried from the general public, and whatever the adults know, they're keeping quiet.

Sakura examined the title of thick, crimson colored book, handing it over to Ino before distributing another to Hinata.

"Any books on clans, especially old editions, would have been pulled from here and placed in the shinobi-only sections of the stacks.

Next came a book bound in blue leather, gold lining the exterior of the pages. She handed this one to Naruto, who rushed past the cover to look at the table of contents.

"But, if you ask me, I think it would be impossible to get rid of absolutely everything. You can't totally wipe someone or something that important from the history books. So we start by looking at the most significant event to ever happen to the clan.

"We need to look at the Second Shinobi World War," Sakura lectured, taking green book from the top of the pushcart and placing it in front of herself. "The destruction of Uzushiogakure was such a big part of that war that any history on the war, no matter how poor, has to at least mention it."

"S-so, what you're saying is, any information that's going to be a-available to us is most likely related to the war." Hinata concluded.

Sakura nodded, pulling a notepad out from her backpack and letting the book in front of her absorb her attention.

The four sat in silence, hardly noticing as the light breaking through the library's windows transitioned through a rainbow of bright whites, mellow oranges, and full pinks before night finally fell on bustling village.

* * *

Well, the convenience store was still there, though now operating under the name _Ten Heaven_. And it seemed like whoever the owner was must be highly motivated to start a franchise. Absolutely everything in the store was emblazoned with the _Ten Heaven _logo: an obnoxiously cool red number ten, symbolized by a double-sided trident for the one and an ouroboros for the zero, all sitting on a cloud with a bolt of lightning strike out from under it.

Iruka couldn't complain about the coffee though. It was certainly better than the third-rate garbage they served out in the borderlands. This coffee was actually pretty good: a hint of dark chocolate smoothed the bitter tone of the aftertaste. Just the smell alone could jolt him awake.

Turning toward his apartment, Iruka caught sight of a short, violet-haired kunoichi standing in front of his door. Arms-crossed over her sizeable chest, Anko took note of the bandaged shinobi, a mischievous smirk playing on her face.

"I heard rumors you were back town, Iruka. Had to let sweet, lonely, sorry Anko find out through the grapevine, didn't you?" she teased.

Iruka furiously fought the blush threatening to flood his face as Anko stepped closer and snaked an arm around his. Pressing the appendage between her breasts, Anko pulled the scar-faced shinobi until her lips were centimeters from his ears.

"Do you know what I'm here for, _Iruka-chan?_" she whispered, tickling his ear with her hot, sticky breath. A light hint of honeysuckle wafted toward him, melting his defenses and relaxing his posture.

Trap set, Anko let her pet snakes slither down Iruka's messenger bag, snapping the buckles while their mistress continued to distract the flustered jounin.

"Let me give you a hint," she whispered in a thick, breathy tone. Lightly, she caressed her way down Iruka's arm, each touch pushing the jounin into sensory overload.

Reaching his palm, Anko slipped her pinky into the center of his open palm, tickling the inside as she lightly stroked spirals over his coarse, calloused skin.

Noticing his eyelids finally grow heavy, Anko went in for the kill. Her hand shot out from his, grabbing the neck of the bottle exposed from his bag and dragging it out. Iruka awoke, eyes jolted wide, reaching after Senkaku's parting gift as the snake mistress dangled the bottle out of his reach.

"God, 2 years later and you're still _so easy_ to tease." Raising the bottle to her face, she took note of the onyx label and cursive gold lettering, characteristic of only one distillery in the shinobi nations.

"Fire Cognac Reserve? You weren't planning on having this without me, were you Iruka-chan?"

Mustering his wits, and trying so very hard to calm a certain appendage down, Iruka sized up the coquettish serpent who dangled the bottle in front of him. Apparently, she hadn't change at all. Beneath her tan trench coat, Anko still wore an orange skirt over a fishnet body suit. Her violet hair was still cut short, and her ponytail fanned out behind her. Mischief and delight were at the forefront of her hazel colored eyes, and Iruka felt the involuntary skip of his heart beat. She was always so good at puppeteering the hearts of mean. At least, for a little while.

Steeling himself to her flirtation, Iruka pushed his instincts down and confronted the flirty kunoichi.

"Come on, Anko. I don't have time today." Iruka complained. "I just got back, and I already got my first assignment."

"Oh, you mean the 4th year teams? What do you even need to work on? You already know everyone on your team pretty damn well."

Iruka's face contorted into mild frustration.

"And just HOW do you know what team I'll be getting?" The brunet questioned, words sharp and tone riddled with annoyance.

"You're no fun when you get all serious," she responded. "Why don't you just invite me in so we can crack this bottle of delicious and I can enjoy my last night alone as a woman."

Iruka's jaw unhinged.

"Y-you're getting MARRIED?!"

Anko outright laughed in her partner's face.

"As if! Like anyone would want anything more than wild fuck from Orochimaru's ex-apprentice."

Anko loved hiding even the most benign truths in a whirlwind of innuendo. Needing time to process whatever it was she was hinting at, he unlocked his door, the snake mistress slipping past him into the apartment. He examined her words, trying to distill the wild scenarios into more mundane happenings. Iruka's breath caught, and he looked wide- eyed at the snake mistress. She gave him a smirk, shrugging her shoulders as she tossed herself onto a cream, suede sofa. If possible, Iruka's jaw dropped even wider.

"No."

"Yes."

"Has Hokage-sama gone mad?"

"Maybe a little."

"But this?"

Anko cracked the bottle and took a swig, eyes scrunching as she let the sweet, firey spirit burn its way down her throat.

"He's ACTUALLY putting you in charge of a team?"

"Bingo!" Anko responded, putting her lips to the bottle before taking another sip.

"I have shot glasses, you know," he said in a bored, defeated tone. He took a seat at his kitchen table, snapping open the dossier the Hokage had given him.

"So are you gonna be a wet-rag, Iruka, or are you gonna join me?" Anko teased, bringing out two shot glasses and pouring cognac into each.

"You know I'm not much of a drinker." He answered, refusing the shot the violet-haired woman had offered him.

"Suit yourself," she replied, downing Iruka's shot before following it up with her own.

"So, if you already know who's on my team," Iruka began, "Would you mind telling me who's on yours?"

Anko placed a forefinger to her chin, eyes staring at the ceiling as she mocked being lost in thought.

"Well, I would have, if you knew how to use your manners."

She really was infuriating when she wanted to be.

"Please, Anko?"

"Please Anko, what, Iruka."

"Please Anko, can you tell me who is on the team you're leading."

"Oh, you can do so much better Iruka-chan!'

"Please Lady Anko, would you tell this humble servant who is on the fair mistress' team?" Iruka vomited out.

"Hmmm, okay, since you asked so nicely!" Anko screwed the cap tight back on the bottle and slid it back toward Iruka.

"The Hokage saw me fit to teach Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata."

For what felt like the umpteenth time today, Iruka was absolutely flabbergasted by the Hokage's decision making.

"You're going to be Hinata's 4th year sensei?" Iruka blurted.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why isn't she paired up with Kurenai?"

"See, that's what happens when you're gone for two years, Iruka. You didn't know that Kurenai got promoted to full-jounin last month, and is waiting to take on a genin team of her own."

"Yugao?"

"Didn't want to leave Anbu."

"Komachi?"

"Same."

"What about Hana?"

"Didn't want to teach anyone in her brother's class."

"There was literally no one else?"

"Nope!"

Iruka sighed, looking through the dossier to see the faces of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura staring back at him.

"Don't worry so much Iruka, I'll be good for her self-esteem! We can work on getting rid of that stutter of hers."

Iruka, for the first time that night, ignored her, engrossed in the file before him. And for the first time that night, Anko set aside her teasing.

"You did a good job with them Iruka." Anko said, sliding her chair right next to his as Iruka paged through Naruto's file, trying to catch up on the two years he had missed. "Who knew Naruto would grow to challenge Sasuke for Rookie of the Year? No one would have given that kid a snowball's chance two years ago."

Iruka continued to flip through the file, restarting at the beginning once he had finished. Anko doubted Iruka had heard her previous comment. It's not like it wasn't in the file Hiruzen had given him. Feeling her welcome worn-out, Anko snuck out of the front door, leaving Iruka to wander in nostalgia, connecting those vague, far-off pieces of the past he knew to the future that lurked ahead.

* * *

The foursome tumbled out of the library, eyes crusty and bloodshot. Lampposts dotted the still-bustling evening streets, illuminating the smiling, joyful faces of blissful couples, laughing families, and rambunctious children. Brains fried, the cadets flopped onto the nearby bench, Hinata laying a tired head on Sakura's shoulder while Naruto sulked on his own.

"Damn it," the blond murmured, voice raspy and without energy. "Even after all this time, I still can't find anything."

The others couldn't even muster the energy for condolences. Sakura had poured over hundreds of pages amongst 10s of books for hours, looking for any mention of specific clan members, to no avail. Each spilled wells of ink describing the massacre: how Kumo and Kiri had unleased their jinchuuriki upon the unsuspecting village; the Uzumaki's valiant defense of their home against all odds, each anonymous member slaughtered by the overwhelming waves of Mist and Cloud nin; the razing of the village's buildings, a century of history lost to the prejudicial conflagration set by the ravenous army. Yet not a single mention of any individual clan members. Not a single one. It had been absolutely infuriating. How Naruto had yet to give up hope was beyond her.

"Jeez guys, when's the funeral?" Ino remarked, voice soft and marred with exhaustion. And with a hint of amusement. Her pink-haired best friend shifted her eyes toward her and force the last bits of energy she had into forming a scowl.

"Well, at least it wasn't a total loss," she followed up. It took him a few moments, but once Naruto finally processed the words, he turned to see a bright, victorious smile gracing the Yamanaka's face. Hand extended, there was a folded-up piece of paper. Naruto trembled, breathless as he took the torn-out slip of notebook paper from Ino.

Whatever this was, it was the first step.

"What are you waiting for Naru-chan?" Ino urged. "Open it!"

Hinata and Sakura had lifted themselves off of the bench, crowding the two blonds. Even though she had not devoted anywhere near as much time as Naruto or Hinata had to the endeavor, Sakura was finding herself just as involved, breath bated as she waited for Naruto to comply with Ino's command.

Finally unfolding the note, Naruto's eyes scanned the page, widening at the two names Ino had scribbled down.

_Uzumaki Eizo_

_Uzumaki Akane_

Naruto peered up from the page, noting how the relieved faces of the emerald-eyed pinkette and the Hyuuga heiress matched his own.

Sakura's quickly contorted into a face of frustration, smile morphing to into a wide-mouthed snarl, a growl emanating from her throat.

"Really, Ino? You held onto that information all day?" she accused.

"Oh come off it Sakura. It was only the last hour," she shot back, not the least bit ashamed. "Everyone loves a dramatic reveal, isn't that right Naruto?"

Naruto pocketed the paper into his crimson satchel, tucking it between the pages of Uzumaki Ashina's journal. He was finally one step closer to the truth. One step closer to his family. He had spent two years in those stacks, reviewing and re-reviewing books on clan histories, hoping that in his haste, the name had slipped by him, hidden within a jungle of symbols.

Without his friends, he'd still be stuck at square one.

"Thanks guys," Naruto choked out, voice shaky and throat tight. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"You wanna thank us?" Ino teased.

"How about you invite us to Yakinaku Q?" She offered.

"I-It's getting a l-little late for that Ino?" Hinata questioned, her father's stern demeanor at the forefront of her mind.

"Come on, Hinata! It's the weekend, and our last night as free cadets!" Ino pushed. "How often do we get to go out as a group for dinner?"

"I-I suppose."

"Sakura? Naruto?"

Naruto wiped his eyes, clearing the hint of tears forming at the edge of his eyelids.

"Yeah, we should celebrate! Foods on me!"

"Can't say no to a free meal with friends. Count me in!" Sakura replied.

"Great! BBQ is perfect for story time," Ino imparted. "I can't wait to tell you guys the rest."

"Wait," Naruto interrupted just as the quartet had turned to head out.

"What do you mean 'the rest?'"

* * *

Plates clattered onto the table as the servers carried out a smorgasbord of meat for the hungry pre-teens. Naruto gulped audibly, anxious at the amount of food Ino had ordered.

"Poor Gama-chan," Naruto cried, pulling the stuffed, toad-shaped wallet from his crimson satchel. "Looks like we're going to be gutting you tonight."

"Live a little Naru-chan!" Ino called out, grabbing the plate full of beef rib and adding its pieces to the grill. "That frog looks like it needs to be put on diet anyway."

"He's a toad!" Naruto argued back. "Show a little respect!"

"Same difference," Ino replied, picking up the tongs and flipping the ribs over. "Maybe if you stopped getting caught up in the minutia, you'd have time to listen to what I found."

"D-don't be so mean to Naruto-kun, I-Ino." Hinata cut in, voice firm despite the stutter. "Naruto-kun was nice enough to pay for our meal with his savings," she continued, stutter slowly disappearing. "Thank you for the meal, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, a valiant expression etched onto her face.

Naruto was completely taken aback by the expression, especially coming from Hinata.

"N-no problem, Hime-chan," Naruto responded, a small blush tinging his cheeks.

The blonde female blew the fringe out of her face and rolled her eyes. Ino placed a few pieces of meat onto a small plate and handed it to Naruto as a peace offering.

"Fine, Hinata. I'll stop teasing the poor boy. Don't want you getting all jealous on me."

Hinata's courage deflated, eyes deflecting from the Yamanaka and taking interest in the wood graining of the table.

Clearing her throat, she drew Naruto and Sakura's attention to herself.

"Uzumaki Eizo and Uzumaki Akane were the names of Uzushiogakure's ambassadors to Konoha. Having arrived ten years prior to the beginning of the Second Shinobi World War, the couple were well-established in the village by the time of the destruction of their home nation.

"In the aftermath of the Second Shinobi War, the couple and their family departed Konoha, looking to reestablish their clan and the village. With their departure, the last of the Uzumaki disappeared from the great nations, their prowess passing onto myth.

"And that's basically all there was," Ino concluded. "A couple of words on Uzu diplomats, and a mysterious disappearance. Not even a picture of them."

"Well, it's a start, if nothing else," Sakura added. "We have two names of Konohan Uzumaki, and that should lead us somewhere."

"The rest of that info is probably buried in the shinobi stacks." Naruto interjected. "Hinata and I scoured the civilian section, and until now, we never saw a thing about Uzushio's ambassadors to the Leaf."

"The question is really about how much clearance you'd need to find the next piece of information," Sakura explained. "The adults are no help, and I can't say I know any genin or chuunin well enough to trust any of them."

"What about Kiba's sister, Hana?" Ino posited.

"No dice," Naruto responded. "She may be an Inuzuka, but she's a stickler for the rules. No doubt she'd take it to her mom if it seemed too suspicious."

"And there aren't any other older siblings in our friend group," Sakura finished. "Can't say I expected things to be easy."

The four sat in silence, the only sound emanating from their table the clink of chop sticks as the young cadets reached for their food.

"I- I may have somebody." Hinata contributed. "I- I don't know if he'd a-agree to help us, but h-he wouldn't tell anyone."

"We don't have any other leads, so anything's worth a shot," Sakura encouraged. "Alright Hinata, who's our contact?"

Hinata's gaze fell back down to the wood grain, index fingers pushed together in anxiety.

"N-Neji-nii-san." She finally let out.

"No way, Hinata!" Naruto blurted. "That guy's a total jerk, and he's been an asshole to you for years! Why would we go to him for ANYTHING?"

"Please don't say that about Neji-nii-san, Naruto-kun!" Hinata sparred back, stutter once again disappearing. "Neji-nii-san is shouldering his pain all on his own. You must remember what that's like!"

Sakura dropped her spoon, everyone at the table shocked into silence. Hinata wouldn't break her stare from Naruto's, the blond growing uneasy as a shiver coursed down his spine, feeling naked before her piercing gaze. Naruto glanced away, surrendering to the lavender-eyed heiress.

"Doesn't give him a right to treat you like that…" Naruto muttered.

Hinata glimpsed a peak at Ino and Sakura, whose mouths were fixed open in their best imitation of a dead fish. A second ticked by, and another, before the realization of what she had done hit her. The rush of bravado vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by an intensifying gurgling in her stomach. Her alabaster skin somehow found a way to grow even paler, eye lids fully stretched and lips smacked shut in mortification.

"E-excuse me!" Hinata excused herself before rushing to the nearest restroom.

The three shook their heads in confusion, still astounded by what had just occurred.

Sakura was the first to speak.

"Whatever it was that just happened, Hinata's right. I can't see any other options at the moment."

The blond's eyes tightened, the happy periwinkle darkening as he addressed Sakura's proposal.

"So we're just gonna ask Hinata to ask this verbally abusive pompous jerkwad for help?" he spat. "I'd rather kiss Sasuke."

"Hinata's not some delicate flower you need to protect Naruto. None of us are." Ino shot back. "Whether you want her to or not, you're not stopping Hinata from doing this."

"But why? I don't get it. I'm not forcing her to do this!"

Sakura dragged the palm of her hand across her face, squeezing her temples in frustration.

"My God, Naruto. How can you be such an idiot about this?"

"You guys keep saying that! Can't you be straight and just tell me what I'm doing wrong to Hinata?"

"It's not our business to tell you, Naruto," Ino replied. "It's between you and Hinata, so why don't you try being more considerate of her feelings and ask her?"

"Gah, why do _girls_ have to be so complicated!?"

"If we're so much trouble, why _don't _you go and kiss Sasuke?" Ino shot back.

It was Sakura's turn to be mortified, jaw hanging, pupils pinpoint as Ino began to realize what left her mouth. Slowly, she turned her head toward a livid best friend, trying to escape the clutches of the seething pink-ette as she dug her hands into Ino's shoulders and shook the gossiping blonde.

"What did you say about my Sasuke-kun! How could you betray him like this, Ino-pig?"

A boisterous clang resounded behind them, a hail of empty plates crashing to the floor and littering the floor with bits of plaster.

"Don't worry! You've got plenty more in back!" Kiba shouted as he breathlessly squeezed himself into the booth right next to Naruto.

"I've spent the last two hours looking for you guys everywhere, and I come here to find you got Yakinaku Q without me!" Snatching several pieces of pork belly from the blond jinchuuriki's plate, Kiba began shoveling food into his gullet. Particles of half-chewed meat flew from his mouth, Sakura and Ino shielding their eyes from the revolting sight.

"Come on, dog-boy!" Ino chastised. "Even Akamaru has better when eating!"

"I juh h-tarbeeng," Kiba choked out between chomps. "Traing."

"Could you _please _finish chewing your food before talking, Kiba?" Sakura pleaded.

Staring the duo down, Kiba gave one last audible swallow.

"Oh, K-Kiba, I didn't know you came back." Hinata observed, rejoining the group.

"How did you know we were even at Yakinaku Q, anyway?" Naruto questioned. "It was a last-minute decision on our part."

"I had no clue!" the dog-user yelped. "You think I'd let you guys get barbeque without me? No way!" Shoving another slice of pork belly in his mouth, Kiba continued his story.

"So, I was done with my training, right? Mom had put me through the ringer, and I wanted a bite to eat that didn't take an hour to cook. I think to myself, hey, why not go grab those new ready-to-eat burrito things they're selling over at Ten Heaven.

"So there I was, getting my change back from the really cute clerk, talking her up, making her blush and writing down my number for her-

"-Kiba, no one's going to believe you got a full grown woman to ask you for your number," Ino heckled.

"Don't be jealous, Ino. There's enough Inuzuka Kiba for everyone!"

Ino wondered if it was possible to roll your eyes so hard you could see your ocular nerve.

"Anyway, there I was, pen in hand, food in mouth, when out of nowhere, I caught a whiff of this super familiar scent. I couldn't place it at the time, I just knew that I'd known it from somewhere before.

"I tell the cutie, 'Sorry baby, duty calls-'"

"-I don't know which I believe less: that a girl would give you her number of that you'd leave a girl alone for something else."

"Damnit Ino, just let me finish. Anyway, I catch the scent and follow it about three blocks up from the convenience store. I turn the corner to see… Drum-roll PLEASE Naruto!"

Not knowing where the story was going, but liking the enthusiasm, Naruto began thumping out a rhythm on the table.

"I see."

"Yeah?"

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

"I see…

"Just finish the story, dog-boy!" Sakura finally burst.

"I see…" Kiba leaned closer into the table, eyes shifting from left to right. Humoring him, the other four leaned in.

"…A big-boobed lady!"

"You know what, that's my fault," Ino said, voice resigned. "I don't know what else I expected."

"But this wasn't just ANY big-boobed lady, Ino! She wore a trench coat over this really hot see-through fishnet shirt. And she had these super-toned thighs beneath her orange mini-skirt-"

"-Y-You mean Anko-san?" Hinata offered.

"Okay, now I'm curious," Ino added. "How do you know Kiba's fantasy woman?"

"S-She's a v-very talened kunoichi and a friend of Kurenai-san."

"Anyway, as I was saying," Kiba continued. "She had her arms practically wrapped around this other shinobi. She's just all over this guy, rubbing her boobs up and down his arm while whispering in his ear. I'm thinking to myself, 'who is this talented Casanova who hooked the absolute hottie that is Anko-san.

"So, I sneak closer, seeing if I can get a look at the guy's face. And guys, let me tell you, I never would have thought he had it in him."

"Who had what in him?" Sakura questioned.

"Iruka-sensei," Kiba answered, allowing the silence to punctuate the bombshell he dropped on the group.

Naruto grabbed Kiba's jacket collar and yanked him forward.

"I told you I didn't find that funny the last time you did it, Kiba." The jinchuuriki growled.

"Take it easy, Naru-chan, I'm being totally serious this time. Without a doubt, the guy standing there was Iruka-sensei.

"Looked like him. Smelled like him. Well a little more burnt than last time, but that's definitely Iruka-sensei's scent.

"And from what Anko was telling Iruka-sensei, it sounds like he just got back too."

Naruto released his hold on Kiba's jacket, eyes fluttering, trying to settle on an emotion. Reaching into his pocket, Naruto handed the stuffed Gama-chan to Hinata, bursting from his seat.

"I'm sorry Hime-chan, I've got to go. Could I trust you with Gama-chan?"

Meeting his eyes, Hinata gave a quiet nod, taking the toad wallet and hugging it to her chest.

"Thanks Hime-chan."

Responsibility secured, Naruto barged out of Yakinaku Q.

Noting the blond's departure, one of the restaurant's servers approached the table.

"I hope you know," he began, "We'll be requiring payment for all of those broken dishes as well."

Hinata silently apologized to her crush, bank rolls and wads of cash tumbling onto the table as Gama-chan spilled his contents for all to see.

* * *

Iruka found himself waking up at his dining table, a piece of paper affixed to his face. Cheek glazed with saliva, Iruka cursed as he realized the ink had smeared, making the writing illegible. Thankfully, that particular page didn't have any information he didn't already know. Reorienting himself, the jounin peered over at the stove's clock.

_22:00._

It wasn't late, but the day had drained every last inch of energy from him. He wasn't even sure if he was ready for tomorrow. Stretching his arms out and expelling a yawn, Iruka made his way to the bathroom, performing the pre-bed time ritual. Face clean and teeth brushed, Iruka removed his shirt and undid the bandages wrapped along his arms. Exchanging the standard shinobi pants for a pair of gym shorts, the scar-faced jounin tucked himself under the covers and shut his eyes.

It couldn't have been more than half a minute before a set of knocks reverberated through his house.

It was the rare occasion when Anko would come over uninvited in the middle of the night. She usually had other people to harass or keep her company after a bender, but Iruka never denied her a place on his couch if she asked for one. Hearing the knock again, Iruka pulled off the warm, cozy comforter and marched himself to the door.

The knock came again, worrying the always considerate Iruka, as he didn't want to disturb his neighbors.

"Hold your horses Anko, I'm coming!" Iruka called out through the wood. Unbolted and unlocked, he swung the door open, heart freezing as he caught sight of a slightly-taller and significantly less orange pre-teen cadet.

Naruto's eyes grew, taking in the familiar scar-faced visage of his former sensei. The blond's mouth erupted into a smile, calming his former mentor, who smiled in return. Iruka stepped back, clearing himself from the door way and gesturing for the shinobi-to-be to step inside.

Nerves gone, the blond strode in and peered around the apartment. Dust covered lamps, tables and bookcases, evidence that, indeed, this was Iruka's first day back.

Grin never leaving his face, Naruto addressed Iruka for the first time in two years.

"Welcome home, Iruka-sensei."

* * *

A/N:

So, that was long-winded. Did I actually spend between a third to a fourth of this chapter talking about how the fucking academy works now?

You bet I did. And yeah, I'm a little embarrassed about that. I tried REALLY REALLY hard to follow Adamant's advice about cutting the verbosity and getting to the point. And this is what it led to.

Straight up though, I had to have deleted and rewritten the dinner and pre-library scenes multiple times, and I'm still not entirely happy with it. Iruka and Sarutobi's conversations were originally one long run-on before I realized that it would make for boring reading.

My Kiba and Ino could probably be diagnosed with ADHD. Not gonna lie though, I really liked writing Ino.

So the only one of the rookie 9 left to see is Shino. Don't expect me to devote too much (if any) time to him next chapter though. We have some other things to get out of the way.

You'll be getting somewhere between 1-3 battles next chapter, depending on how much I've improved my ability to "get to the point." Not going to spoil anything though. I just hope I'm able to do justice to the vision I've got.

And once again, thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed. It means a lot to receive your support. And to those of you who left a kind or critical word: thank you. The only way I improve is if you let me know how I'm doing, and I ask that you please be honest in your critiques with me.

**Adamant39:**

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and give an opinion on my fic. I kinda (definitely) failed to take your advice this chapter, but I know it's something I need to work on, and I'll keep it at the forefront while writing the next ones.

**Zigmas:**

Bro, it took me a couple of re-reads to understand what you said, but 100% on genjutsu world Hinata. You have indeed provided inspiration!

**MIKE:**

Succinct. The opposite of me. You'll need to share your secrets with me. Thanks for the compliment!

**Lazymanjones:**

I hope to continue delivering more interesting stuff.

**Superjew94:**

Thank you so much for the high praise. I hope I can meet your expectations and keep you entertained. Things should be picking up from here on out, so stick around.

**Reader of Harry Potter:**

No, kind stranger. Thank you.

Too much dialogue? Let me know! Not enough description? Let me know! Don't like my characterization of Anko? Let me know!

Seriously guys! Let. Me. Know.

'Til next time, everyone!


	3. Winning and Losing

I lied again.

Shino is in this chapter.

Still don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Honestly, this team is pretty stacked."

The autumn morning sky released a cool, crisp breeze onto training field, wafting the scent of hot cider and busy fireplaces into the air. Team Iruka made their way down the steps of the ninja academy, having just received their first set of orders. Sakura was apprehensive about the team's synergistic qualities. She'd never say it out loud, but she was well aware that Sasuke didn't really play well with others. He could be forgiven that minor flaw. Not everyone was an extrovert. And their team was stuck with the loudest of the bunch.

Thank God Sasuke respected the blond-haired Uzumaki. The next year would be have been absolutely insufferable if those two didn't already get along. She wouldn't be surprised if that's why the top two fourth-years were placed together: there was no one else who could motivate Sasuke like Naruto could.

"I mean, look at us! The last Uchiha, the last Uzumaki, and the smartest girl in the class. It's a waste of our talent to be stuck as cadets for the next year."

The last Uchiha had already begun to pull ahead of the grew, not even giving a glance back to see if his teammates were keeping pace with him.

"Don't you think so, _teme_?" Naruto called out, oblivious to Sasuke's irritation with… well, everything.

Sasuke had one objective in life. That objective was only accomplished in one of two ways: training and old age. And somehow, he had the feeling his brother might figure out a way to overcome the constraints of the latter.

So when he heard his blond-haired teammate begin to taunt him, the only reason the Uchiha answered was to try to get him to the off-campus training fields as quickly as possible.

"Don't you think we're a little old to be engaging in petty name-calling, _dobe_?" Sasuke shot back, knowing that with the right kind of prodding, he could get the blond to rise to the occasion.

"Rule Number Ten of Uzumaki Ashina," Naruto retorted, knowing that the obsession with his ancestors would rankle the aloof brunet. "A life rushed through is a life filled with regret."

"Easy to say for a clan who can live twice as long as the Uchiha but can only get half of the accomplishments done."

"Should I remind you of who won our last fight, _teme_?"

"How about you stop talking and show me who wins the next one?"

You know what? Nevermind. This year was clearly going to be way more trouble than it was worth.

Sakura dashed between the quarrelsome cadets, praying Sasuke respected HER enough to back down from the impending fight.

"Come on guys!" she pleaded, frustrated that the role of peacemaker was thrust upon her. "Can't we just go grab a bowl of ramen like normal teammates, and, uh… not kill each other on the day before our first assignment?"

That had no effect, which was rather disappointing given that ramen was usually the magic bullet to get Naruto to do act however they needed.

And it didn't seem like Sasuke-kun was too amused by her failed intervention. His onyx eyes narrowed and drilled into her bright emerald ones, her breath catching at the intensity of his hostility.

Ino-pig would be so jealous of the way he was looking at her right now.

But now wasn't the time to get caught in fantasies about Sasuke's gorgeous, smoldering, creepy-hot glare. She had teammates to save (mostly from each other).

The pink-ette's brain was pushed into overclock, synapses sparking wildly as she racked her brain for _anything_ that might divert them away from measuring their own egos.

Despite his intelligence, Sasuke really had a one-track mind. If it wasn't training, it could fuck right off. God, she really knew how to pick 'em.

Naruto was hardly better. She never thought she'd see the blond crack a book if the majority of its content didn't consist of pictures. And then the pre-teen decided to spend the better part of _two years_ absolutely devouring entire sections of the Konoha Public Library, searching for any clues on the whereabouts of his lost clan.

The blond's entire personality 180'd! Over a journal, a knapsack, some paintbrushes and a couple of jars of ink.

Oh right! The Uzumaki. Naruto's one weakness.

"Hey Naruto, didn't you tell Hinata earlier that you were going to go with her and Kiba to talk to her cousin?"

That seemed to have done it. The jinchuuriki unclenched his fists and backed off from the last Uchiha. Despite the fact Naruto was indeed easily distractible, she was still astounded by the fact that he was the one to back off, and not Sasuke.

The changes in Naruto sometimes perturbed her. She'd have sworn he was an imposter if she hadn't once tried to scrub the whisker marks from his face. That, and no matter how loud, quiet, focused or distracted he got, Naruto was uniquely obnoxious in the way he could slither past your emotional defenses and just get you _talking._

"You're a lucky man, Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto mocked, nose-up turned and voice saturated with magnanimity. "I forgot I'm rather busy today and have a date I can't possibly miss. I will have to postpone our spar for some other time."

"Tch," Sasuke clicked his tongue in frustration. "Whatever, _dobe_. Just don't hold back my progress."

The brunet continued without his two teammates, content to train alone for the time being.

Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. That rivalry had been ramping up as of late, and it was only a matter of time before those two got strong enough to start causing some real damage to one another.

"Oh man! I think I'm in LOVE!" a voice echoed out from the academy's atrium, the wind carrying the haughty proclamation out to be disseminated amongst Konoha's public. The two remaining members of Team Iruka shifted their bodies to face the direction of the voice, not in the least bit surprised to see from whom the declaration emanated. At the top of the worn, dull grey cement staircase stood Inuzuka Kiba, arms flung high in victory, with the indigo-haired Hyuuga heiress standing one step below. Her head bowed, she was doing her best to maneuver her bangs into a position that would cover her blushing cheeks.

Sakura shivered as a sharp, frigid breeze blew through courtyard, rustling the golden-toned leaves of Konoha's imperial trees. Naruto tightened this crimson scarf, tucking the fluttering arms into his navy-colored jacket and approached his boisterous friend.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata breathed out, blush growing deeper as she now had to contend with her crush watching the histrionic displays of affection staged by their mutual best friend. Flanked on either side of her were the brash, love-struck Inuzuka and a bushy-haired cadet Sakura had only ever seen in passing. From what the pink-ette had noted in their few interactions was that, despite the time of day, the weather, or the environment, Kiba and Hinata's teammate refused to remove his sunglasses. Tall for their age group, the boy concealed himself in a long, grey trenchcoat, the collar upturned and obscuring the lower half of his face.

Mid-twirl, the rambunctious Inuzuka caught sight of Naruto and Sakura. Without giving it a second for thought, Kiba leaped down the 4 flights of stairs, landing in front of a slack-jaw and semi-scandalized duo.

"It HAS to be fate you guys," he proclaimed gleefully, pearlescent teeth gleaming through an exuberant smile. "Out of all the possible jounin, we got HER as our fourth-year sensei!"

"You mind letting the group in on whatever it is you're babbling about, dog-breath?" The blond-haired jinchuuriki exclaimed.

"Just that we have the hottest sensei around, Naru-chan!" the dog-nin professed. "And I don't mean just mean in looks! The way she threatened me when she caught me looking at her chest, or the way she nicked my cheek with a kunai when I was distracted by her soft, toned thighs… she's a total alpha.

"I'm going to love this team!" He declared, voice booming out over the courtyard as several cadets turned to look at their exuberant classmate. Satisfied with his demonstration, Kiba balled up his fists and placed them on his hips, chest puffed out and smirking in delight.

Looking down, he took stock of Team Iruka: Sakura with her face buried in her palms, probably awed into silence by the sheer magnitude of the spectacle; Naruto, for his part, remained the same as he always did in the face of such overwhelming greatness, his jaw hanging and cobalt eyes saucer-sized; and their third teammate-

Wait.

"Hold up. Where's your third?" Kiba questioned, interrupting his own antics.

"Oh, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto remarked, pinky in ear, feigning nonchalance. "You guys just missed his highness turning tail and running from a spar."

At that, Sakura's face shot up from between her hands, mouth fixed into a snarl and eyes locked onto her prey.

"Come on, Naruto. You know you were the one that declined the challenge this time around!" Sakura chastised, defending her man's honor. "In fact, if memory serves me right, I was the one who saved YOU from a battle with Sasuke-kun."

Naruto craned his head back at his female teammate, cheeks puffed into a pout.

"Details, details, Sakura-chan." Naruto replied, waving a hand at her dismissively.

Kiba found an opening and decided it was time for him to enter the fray.

"Hey, Naruto, what was Rule Number Eight of Uzumaki Ashina, again?"

"Damnit, buzz off Kiba!" Naruto replied. "Since when do you know the Rules of Uzumaki Ashina?"

"Since I've had to listened to you rattle them off as unofficial mantras for the last 2 years." Kiba volleyed back. "Rule Number Eight: Don't overlook the details. They make-up the whole."

"Fine, fine. That's something I still need to work on that. Rule Number Two, after all. 'At least to yourself, always be willing to admit to your faults. And make a plan to work on them.'"

"Speaking of a plan, I believe you all may have had one in mind?" spoke the tall, stoic bushel of hair standing in the back.

Naruto peered over, examining the source of the voice. That was another thing he needed to work on: his awareness. He'd been so caught up in the daily banter that he'd somehow missed the pale-skinned paintbrush that completed Team Anko. A slight blush tinted his cheeks as he realized he'd forgotten to mind his manners. Making his way past Kiba, Naruto extended a hand out to the newcomer in greeting.

"Sorry about that. Forgot my manners," the blond apologized, addressing the silent cadet. "The name is Uzumaki Naruto. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The bushy-haired brunet, unaccustomed to physical contact with members outside of his clan, examined the offered hand. He could recognize the gesture. He wasn't an idiot. He'd seen people do this whenever they met for the first time. As two individuals got closer, the ritual could increase in complexity, including complicated non-sensical hand signs that resembled seals, or evolving into full on embraces.

Figuring now was a good time as any to become more acquainted with the more casual aspects of formal friendship, he grasped the blond's hand gave it a firm shake.

"Aburame Shino," he opened.

Now, what was it his father had taught him was appropriate to say next? He'd memorized these growing up, for when he was out in public and couldn't communicate using bug pheromones.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto's face-splitting grin widened, happy to have welcomed another member into "the crew."

"Glad to see you're polite, Shino. With Kiba on your team, I was wondering if Hinata would be the lone beacon of civilization."

"I am civilized, idiot!" Kiba cut in.

"Tell that to the mud you dragged onto my hardwood floor yesterday morning, dog-breath."

Sakura turned to Shino, figuring an orientation was in order.

"Haruno Sakura," she stated, introducing herself and offering the same gesture of friendship Naruto had. Shino took the hand, noting the light scent of cherry-blossoms that exuded from the young girl.

"Usually, this sort of thing takes a while to work itself out," she whispered to him as Shino split his attention between the pink-ette and the verbal tussle that broke out between the Uzumaki and Inuzuka. "Normally, we let them burn themselves out, but seeing as we have places to go… Hinata, could you do the honors?"

Hinata, having spent the most time with the two loudmouths, was the most efficient at de-escalating the situation. It probably helped that out of everyone in the group, Naruto and Kiba held the most affection for her.

"N-Naruto-kun, sh-shouldn't we be h-heading over to see my cousin now?" the white-eyed heiress stammered out.

Mid-sentence, Naruto cut himself off, recognition evident as his cobalt eyes looked from Kiba to Hinata and back again. Kiba nodded toward Hinata, signaling that he too was done.

Crossing his arms, the Inuzuka addressed his blond-haired rival.

"You may have one this battle, Uzumaki, but I'll win the war."

"Keep dreaming, dog-breath," Naruto replied, the two groups reforming and making their way toward the academy gate.

The quintet made their way out of the, heading toward the official shinobi training grounds.

"So, if I may ask," Shino directed toward Sakura. "What is the plan?"

* * *

The Third Training Ground was found on the outskirts of the village, nestled between a tributary of the Konohan River and one of the surrounding mountain ranges. In the summer, dense, green canopies blocked the sun's rays from gracing the forest floor, blanketing it in a season of shadow. That same forest floor was now quilted in the yellow and brown hues of autumn, painted by the tree's fallen foliage. As the forest parted, the ancestral oaks made way for the short viridian blades of the Third Training Ground's glade, just large enough for a group of shinobi to train undisturbed. It was here that Team Gai had decided to spend their day honing their skills. As the quintet made their approach, they took note of the three figures who occupied the space.

Sitting on a stump, sharpening a kunai with a whetstone, was the team's solitary female. Black-hair done up in two buns and sporting a cheongsam shirt, she hadn't noticed the group until she was alerted to their presence by her brown-haired teammate.

Hyuuga Neji needed no introduction. He was the graduating class's top rookie, and in Naruto's opinion, like most top rookies, an absolutely massive prick. If there was any evidence that Hinata was way too nice for her own good, it was that she constantly made excuses for this asshole's abusive behavior. You didn't see Naruto, using his shitty childhood as an excuse to vandalize property and terrorize Konoha's security forces, did you?

Oh wait.

Yeah, you totally did. He sometimes forgot about his pranking days. It was probably a blessing that he had yet to start practicing fuinjutsu at that age. Even things as uncomplicated as storage seals could be devastating in the hands of the jinchuuriki. A lifetime of improvisation will do that to you.

Neji turned his gaze toward his cousin, his pale eyes boring down into hers. Her steps stuttered, and Naruto could make out the sharp inhales as Hinata's respiratory rate began to slowly climb. The blond reached his hand out and entwined his fingers with Hinata's, squeezing as if to say _I'm here._

In the face of her cousin's cold hostility, the gentle, reassuring warmth of Naruto's grip was enough to stifle the shiver that threatened to creep up her spin. Instead, she felt a glow slowly climb up her arm before it slowly spilled over, slowly smothering out the paralyzing grip of her anxiety. The searing ache that bubbled from her stomach was soothed, and Hinata swallows as resolution begins to reinforce her once shaky steps.

Neji stepped out from the underneath the shadow of a looming oak, the tree's branches still clothed in the oranges, reds, and golds of the season's foliage.

"I see you've brought the Loser Brigade with you, Hinata-_sama_," Neji chided, crossing his arms widening his stance. "And it looks like you've added a few members to the party, though to be honest, I don't know why anyone would want to spend any amount of time with the clan's disgrace."

Naruto sucked in a breath, brows furrowed, eyes narrowed and a sharp boil shooting up from his abdomen. As a bark began to make its way up his throat, the lavender-eyed girl squeezed his hand in return, pleading with him to hold back the deluge of anger that threatened to breech the dam.

But even with Naruto and Kiba at her back, she could still feel her throat constricting in terror, breaths again becoming inadequate before her cousin's dehumanizing gaze. It felt sore whenever she swallowed, but taking another step forward, she persisted.

This was for Naruto, she repeated to herself. It was the mantra that powered every step.

"Neji-nii-san-" Hinata began.

"Cut it with the _nii-san_ crap, Hinata-_sama_," Neji hissed back. "Your crooked courtesies can't bury the decades of abuse my family has suffered at the hands of yours."

"Yeah, you'd really know something about abusing family, wouldn't you," the blond struck out.

"And what a clanless orphan know about our politics?" Neji growled, voice cruel and resentful.

A squeeze from Hinata's hand stayed the jinchuuriki's tongue. Another gust ripped through clearing, bending the grass blades and scattering the fallen leaves into a mosaic of reds and browns.

Her mouth refused her order to open, muscles tight, and resisting every inch she asked them to give. Her throat burned as she swallowed back the bile that threatened to spill forward. None of her thoughts would coalesce, but she was overrun by a torrent of nebulous and uncategorizable swell of emotions. Hinata clutched her hand in Naruto's, her anxiety threatening to breech the ramshackle defenses she'd built out of Naruto's encouragement.

She had to let it out before the flood broke the wall. Before everything she felt collapsed her into a miasma of stark, unmistakable failure.

"N-n-neji-n-n-ii-san," her voice quaked out. "P-p-p-lease, we n-n-eed your h-h-help."

Her cousin's eyes dimmed, the right corner of his mouth twitching as it fixed itself into a lop-sided smile, expression sardonic.

"That's not how we do things, Hinata-sama," he mocked. "If you want something from me, you know how this is done."

Neji's hands reached behind his head, fingers untangling the array of knots that held his forehead protector in place. Hinata flinched at the sight of the Caged Bird Seal, a painful reminder of the inhumane practices and cruel methods perpetrated in the name of the main family's safety.

"Command me, Hinata-_sama_." Neji taunted.

"P-p-p-lease n-n-nii-san."

Her shivering had become worse, the warmth from Naruto's hand no match for the cold sweat beading down her forehead.

"No matter how cripplingly weak you may be, your fate is to be the clan head, and mine is to be your servant.

"You can have whatever you ask, Hinata-_sama._ Order me."

"I-I-I w-won't n-n-nii-san." Her legs wobbled, heavy and weak. The crisp autumn air couldn't stop the suffocating heat that threatened to overload her brain. She could feel the coppery taste hit the back of her throat, and she felt the room begin to spin.

"Do it, Hinata!"

"I-I-I w-w-won't!" The dam would not hold anymore. Hinata's legs collapsed beneath her, the Hyuuga heiress jerking forward and retching as she finally heaved bile onto the ground before Neji. Trembling, the young girl wrapped her quivering arms around herself, her instincts unleashed from their restraints.

Dust and dirt kicked up into the air as Sakura slid next to her friend, bringing Hinata close as she tried to calm the violent quivering.

"You're a goddamn asshole, Neji," Kiba shouted, eliciting a smirk from the Hyuuga boy.

"If it is Hinata's destiny to never overcome her weak sentimentality, my words will be the least of her worries."

Kiba cocked an arm back, leg sprung and ready to deliver a punch to the arrogant Hyuuga prodigy. Naruto slipped in under the Inuzuka's outstretched arm, pulling Kiba back before he provoked the genin into a fight.

"You should follow the Uzumaki's example, Inuzuka." Neji jeered at the two cadets. "At least he knows his place. And when not to meddle."

Sakura helped a staggering Hinata to her feet, shunting her away from the clamor and back toward the field's exit.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Naruto shook his head at the fuming Inuzuka. Kiba's obsidian, slit-like eyes followed the trajectory of the Uzumaki's blue ones, tracing them back to the retreating forms of Sakura and Hinata. Anger ebbing, the dog-nin snatched his shoulder away from the Uzumaki's grip, marching past Shino to join the girls' retreating forms.

Satisfied that the situation had been defused, Naruto turned his back to the errant Hyuuga and made his way past the Aburame.

Only Shino remained in place, expressionless, a sunglass covered stare pointed at Neji. The air still lay thick with tension, but neither the Aburame nor the Hyuuga betrayed a hint of apprehension.

"I would prefer if, in the future, you would refrain from further traumatizing my teammate," Shino spoke, breaking the silence.

"Hinata seems to enjoy collecting a plethora of losers," Neji hurled. "I suggest you avoid entangling yourself in our clan's affairs, stranger."

"When your clan's affairs begin to interfere with my teammate, they _become_ my problem," Shino responded, affect flat. "Don't think I will allow your petty, illogical resentments to afflict the well-being of my companions."

Undisturbed, Neji cracked his neck, crouching low with his hands extended as he entered the fighting stance of his clan's Gentle Fist.

"And what do you suppose you're going to do about it, Aburame?"

Shino remained motionless, hands in his pockets.

"If that time comes, I will come at you without fear or hesitation," Shino responded, tone unchanged.

"Remember Hyuuga, there are places your divination cannot reach."

At Shino's threat, Neji let out an incredulous guffaw, slipping out of his fighting stance.

"Oh, I look forward to the day when you feel compelled to make-due on your threat, Aburame." With one final laugh, Neji about-faced the bug-user, making his way to his female teammate.

Finding the Hyuuga sufficiently far from hearing range, Shino expelled a sigh. That had not been anywhere in his day's plans. Turning away from the clearing, Shino made out a head of blond hair waving its arms in the distance. His brown-haired teammate beckoned him, his own arms raised and gesturing for the Aburame to come join them.

In all honesty, this was something else he hadn't entirely expected. He was pleasant, and easy going, sure. But he felt lucky to have been placed on team so inviting. Within the span of a few hours, outside of his home and amongst complete strangers, the habitually stoic Aburame had discovered what it was like to have friends. To have a place you belong.

* * *

The quintet sat perched on the short, pale wooden fence that demarcated the edge of the training field. Hinata was no longer gasping for air, but her breaths remained labored, chest heaving deeply with each inhalation and head thrown back in exhaustion. Sakura remained right next to the lavender-eyed cadet, jade eyes cast down-ward staring at her tightly clasped hands. A frown marred her usually bright demeanor.

"I didn't know things were that bad between you and your cousin," Sakura whimpered in a hushed voice. "We should have listened to Naruto. No favor was worth putting you through that."

"I-it's okay. Sakura," Hinata drudged out between breaths. "I-I don't. Begrudge him. For hating me."

"I hope you'll excuse us if we don't share your sympathy, Hinata," Naruto remarked, tone deflated and defeated.

A pattering of quick steps called their attention to a blur of dark green and orange blazing down the worn dirt path, a cloud kicked up in the object's wake. Scrunching his eyes tight, Kiba could make out a sheen of black atop the objects head, the village's signature forehead protector tied around his waist. His hands and wrists were bandaged in white wraps, and with the liquid grace of his movements, Kiba could guess that whoever this person was, he must have been a proficient used of Taijutsu. As the shinobi drew closer, the pattering grew into a thunder, a light tremble beginning to permeate the ground the group stood upon. No signs of stopping, the Inuzuka lunged out of the way as the mystery man barreled to a halt.

His eyes were perfectly circular, topped by two, pitch black shrubs that mildly resembled eyebrows. Sporting a black bowl cut and green jumpsuit, the shinobi looked more like joke than a warrior.

"Yosh!" the green beast shouted in greeting.

"I apologize for my teammate's most unyouthful behavior. A life of tragedy has turned his disposition sour, but I assure you that there is goodness in his depths!"

The group was slack-jawed and silent, the five cadets standing in shock, perturbed by the exuberant abomination before them. None moved, both too mystified and terrified by the youthful genin. Noticing the widened, trembling eyes of the blond jinchuuriki, the green-clad shinobi thrust his hand out in salutation, hoping to jolt Naruto out of his consternation.

"Where are my manners? I am Konoha's beautiful green beast, Rock Lee!"

Swallowing his hesitance, Naruto reached out and grasped the weird, boisterous shinobi's hand with his own. Despite the bandages, the blond could still feel the coarse bumps of the other boy's callouses. Despite his serene and care-free composure, Lee's grip was solid and tight.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the blonde answered. "Allow me to introduce my friends."

"The one with the red face paint and bad manners is Kiba," Naruto explained as he pointed to the fang-toothed Inuzuka.

"The guy who looks like a human paintbrush is Shino."

"The porcelain-skinned princess is your asshole teammate's cousin, Hinata."

Hinata felt her head go woozy and the labored breaths coming back at hearing the blond's words.

"Oh, and yeah, the last one is Sakura."

"Wow, I don't even get an insult. I thought we were better friends than that, Naruto!"

As Lee set his perfectly circular eyes upon the pink-ette, his heart clenched and rebounded hard against the inner wall of his chest. The boy's breath hitched, and he could feel his cheeks tingle. Sliding over to the increasingly uncomfortable Haruno, the boy winked and blew her a kiss.

"Sakura, please go out with me!" the green boy declared. "I'll protect you with my life!"

The green-eyed pre-teen grabbed hold of her blue-haired companion's shoulders and leapt, flipping behind her and placing a buffer between herself and the enthusiastic, green-clad romantic.

"Oh…" Sakura squeaked out, trying her best to hide from the boy's unwanted attention.

"I'm sorry Lee-san, you caught me at a bad time." Sakura remarked, circling around Hinata as Lee tried to get a better look at his new crush. "I, uh… I didn't wear any make-up this morning?"

"Yosh! Do not sell your natural beauty short, my cherry blossom!" He exclaimed, attempting to peer behind Hinata. This, however, had the unintended consequence of placing Lee within breathing distance of the young Hyuuga, who could barely tolerate the proximity.

Watching as Sakura grew increasingly distressed at Lee's advances, Kiba took this as his queue to intervene. In an attempt to catch his attention, the Inuzuka reached his hand out to grasp the martial artist's shoulder.

Purely working off muscle memory, the genin grasped the outstretched arm, leveraged Kiba over his shoulder, turned out of the girls' way and flipped the dog-user onto the ground. A puff of dust kicked up off the ground, Kiba wide-eyed as the maneuver had caught him completely by surprise. Lee embarrassed by the display, quickly latched onto the Inuzuka's wrist and helped him onto his feet.

"I apologize, Kiba! I was caught unawares and acted on instinct!" Lee bellowed in apology.

"I did not come here looking to start a fight." He continued. "I was attracted by your youthful spirits and came to ask what brought you to seek the help of my teammate."

Sakura exchanged a quick glance with Naruto, urging him to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. The blond nodded his affirmation, deciding that, out of options, this was the only route that would allow them to continue forward.

"Well, Lee-san," Naruto opened. "The story is rather sort of complicated. Kind of unbelievable if you really begin to think about it. Either way, we're looking for a really trustworthy genin to help us out and gather information from the Konoha Public Library. Would you be willing to hear us out over a bowl of ramen?"

Without a second thought, Lee flashed a sparkling smile and shot the blond a thumbs up, demonstrating to the group his patented "nice-guy" pose.

"Whatever you tale, Uzumaki Naruto, trust that Rock Lee will listen and help in whatever way he can!"

Naruto returned the infamous Uzumaki grin to Lee's pose.

"Naruto," the calm, deep voice of Shino called. "I believe it would be wise if we deposit the tired lady Hinata at her home."

"N-no, p-p-please don't fuss over me. I'll be fine." Hinata countered. "I-I can keep going. I'm just a little tired."

"I think Shino's right, Hime-chan," the blond opined. "We have to meet for our first assignments tomorrow, and it wouldn't be right for us to force you out with us when you're this exhausted."

"Y-y-you're not forcing me, Naruto-kun," a hint of frustration beginning to seep into the Hyuuga's voice. "I w-want to see this through with you. This m-matters to me too Naruto-kun."

For the second time in as many days, Naruto was struck by the boldness with which the usually timid Hinata was speaking. Her stutter was minimizing, and occasionally it completely disappeared.

"Y-you don't have to protect me all the time, Naruto-kun. I don't _want_ you to protect me all the time. P-please, just let me be there for you."

Before Naruto could bring any dispute of his own, the sprightly form of Rock Lee whooped and thrust a punch into the air.

"Well spoken, Hinata! Such a youthful spirit will only bring greatness!"

"I don't think you have the space to argue anymore, Naruto." Sakura cut in. "Hinata's going, whether you like it or not."

Relenting, the Uzumaki sighed.

"I guess there's no beating you, Hime-chan. You win this round."

The corners of her lips quirked upward, a small smile gracing Hinata's face.

"I apologize, but my family requested I be back before dinner time." Shino stated. "I will have to give a raincheck for this outing."

"Yeah, my parents are being a little more strict now that I'm entering fourth-year," Sakura chimed in. "I'll also have to bow out for tonight."

Naruto nodded, though the disappointment was evident on Lee's face. Kiba gave a light elbow to the passing Hinata, the way he usually teased her concerning their blond-haired friend.

* * *

The quintet, now having added Rock Lee, began to make his way down the dirt path, back toward the city proper.

The sun had begun its descent behind the horizon by the time the quartet had reached Ichiraku Ramen. Seeing his favorite group approaching the stand, Teuchi reignited the stove and left the kitchen lights on. Ayame had already headed home, but serving the young team of cadets a little after hours had never created a problem for the chef. Pulling the curtain back, Teuchi allowed the four youths to pass him and take their seats at the center of the counter. He usually closed early on Sunday evenings, but had allowed Naruto and his friends to stay as a haven away from curious ears.

Hinata took her position at the blond's left, while Kiba sat to the right of their new friend, leaving Naruto and Lee at the center of their array. As Naruto began to impart his tale to the black-haired genin, Teuchi took the young trainees' orders and began preparing their meals. Occasionally, Hinata or Kiba would interject with the roles they had played in the mystery, painting a portrait of miniature detectives fumbling blind through an opaque, mystifying world. Twenty minutes had passed when the chef placed their steaming bowls in front of them, but it was the first time he had ever seen Naruto not give priority to any ramen within reaching distance.

Rock Lee's eyes remained fixed on Naruto's, ramen bowl growing cold as he found himself captured by the curious and colorful tale of the Uzumaki clan. Another twenty minutes had passed before Naruto finally tore open a packet of chopsticks, breaking their conjoining and rolling away stray splinters. Dipping the sticks into his bowl, Naruto began to stir together the ingredients, addressing Lee as he prepared his meal.

"It doesn't make sense," Naruto stated. "Why would the history of an entire clan would be hidden from the general populace, but be open and readily available to any shinobi? It's like someone is trying to erase evidence of the clan's existence, but that they've also done a really half-assed job about it.

"All I want is to help bring my clan back," the blond explained. "To continue the traditions they left behind, and to immortalize the memories of the ones long passed. But we're met with a roadblock at every turn."

"And Hokage-sama has explained to you why he does not want to tell you?" Lee questioned.

"He's afraid if word gets out the I'm actually the last Uzumaki, I'll be walking around with a target on my back. We haven't told too many people, and for most, the incident at the academy has long been forgotten.

"But I can't forget this. Who knows how many of us are out there, alone and wondering if there's anyone left. Our place is together, here in Konoha, as one of the great clans, and it's my goal to bring us all together."

"A mighty journey you've set out for yourself, Naruto! Your youth burns brightly," commended Lee. "Aren't you afraid for yourself? It sounds like a dangerous journey, attempting to reclaim the pride of your clansmen."

"Of course I'm afraid!" Naruto responded. "This whole thing is crazy: the idea that someone might be willing to risk their life just to kill me because I'm the last Uzumaki; or the thought that the truth has been buried so deeply that not a single one of the adults has let slip a single thing about where I may have come from; or even that, if I do manage to rebuild our clan, there'll always be someone conspiring to finish the job the Cloud and Mist bastards started.

"But I'm not going to go back on my word, Lee. Because that's my nindo."

Lee took a sip from his glass of water, silent, analyzing the moral complexity of the situation. While he sympathized with the blond, the Hokage's stance on the issue was both fair and logical. Whatever this secret was, the Hokage and those in power had conspired to keep this knowledge from Naruto and had gone to great lengths to leave him in the dark. There were few things that merited this level of secrecy, even within the reality of the shinobi world.

Therein lied the rub, didn't it? Whatever this secret was, it was so dangerous that if it became public knowledge, Naruto's life would immediately be in danger. But if it got out without his knowledge, Naruto would be unaware and unprepared for the forces that came after him. Naruto, by virtue of his place in the conspiracy, was already in danger.

And thus, Rock Lee had his answer.

"Naruto," the young genin began. "Your story has moved me, and I sympathize with your plight. I will assist you in retrieving this information."

The blond hopped out of his chair, fist raised in celebration. As Naruto was about to embrace Lee, the martial artist lifted an open palm to him, signaling he had yet to finish.

"However," the green-clad shinobi continued, "I believe the Hokage's reasons are justified. If this secret is really as important the conspiracy indicates, you may not be ready for it until you've become strong enough not only to protect yourself, but to protect your friends as well.

"With this in mind, I have one stipulation for you.

"You must first defeat me in a spar. Only then can _I_ feel justified in my decision to help you."

Lee's eyes were not those of ebullient, happy-go-lucky joker he had pegged the fuzzy-browed genin to be. They were hard. Resolute. Unswayable. Lee put forth his open hand, tacitly asking the blond if they had a deal.

The blond knew that the only way he was going to get what he wanted was by going through Lee. They had taken a risk asking a strange genin for his assistance, but Lee had ended up being an ally better than any they could have hoped for. Even his condition was more for the blond's benefit than his own.

Naruto clasped the bandaged hand in his own, acknowledging the other boy's arrangement.

"Alright bushy-brows," the young jinchuuriki stated. "We've got a deal."

"You know," Kiba interjected, "There's light out for another hour and a half. We could head to the academy fields if we want to get a round in today."

"What do you think, Lee? You up for that spar today?" Naruto proposed.

"Yosh! I am always up for a spar, Naruto!"

Lee proceeded to grab his bowl and tip the rim to his lips. Lifting, he proceeded to guzzle the bowl's contents down his throat, several audible gulps escaping the black-haired boy's gullet.

Taking his enthusiasm as a challenge, Naruto followed suit, before shoveling a mouthful of ramen into his own maw, inhaling the mass of salty noodles in a voracious display of gluttony.

Stepping out from beneath the stand's curtains, the quartet bid farewell to the paternal ramen chef.

Greeting them outside of the tent was the tall, lithe form of Hinata's Hyuuga caretaker. His customary bandana hiding the top of his spiky brown hair, Ko ran his pale, pupil-less eyes over his charge's companions, brows furrowing as they fell upon the form of the young girl's blond crush.

"Ko-san, h-have you come to collect me?"

Unable to remain irritated in her presence, the bodyguard offered the young girl a warm, small smile.

"Yes, Hinata-sama. Your father requests your presence at once."

"T-then please allow me to bid farewell to my friends," she requested. Her bodyguard bowed in response.

"L-Lee-san, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for all you have done for us today." Bending at the waist, Hinata bowed toward her senior, who returned the formality with gusto.

"It has been my pleasure as well, Hinata! I would hope for a chance to spar against you soon!"

Turning toward Kiba, Hinata enveloped her friend in quick, tight hug.

"Thanks for joining me out there today. I couldn't have stood up to Neji without you."

"Come on. What else are friends for?" the Inuzuka teased. "We'd go to hell and back for each other."

Finally, Hinata came face to face with Naruto. She had hugged him before, but she'd never held him like she had no. Hinata craned her head into the crook of the blonde's neck, appreciating the closeness the two had developed over the past day.

"Naruto-kun." She began, voice soft and relaxed. "Thank you for today."

Pulling her head up to his ear, she continued in a light, wispy tone. "Even in front of Neji, you never let me go." She pulled back, the pink blush fully in her control, never escaping her cheek bones.

"Thank you. For showing me I could."

It was Naruto's turn to be speechless, cheeks burning at the girl's closeness. Lips slightly parted, and eyes lost in wonder, Naruto nodded to her dumbly.

"Come, Hinata-sama." Ko beckoned. "Let's go home."

Watching the two Hyuuga disappearing into the vacant, sleepy, Sunday-evening streets, the blond felt an unfamiliar tingle well in his stomach. The feeling began to tickle his arms, and he took notice of the way every breath dragged currents of cool air to fill his lungs. His ear picked up the sound of his heart skipping a beat, and as he watched her form retreat out of sight, he had the sudden, inexplicable feeling of just wanting to see her again.

* * *

The three males reached the academy grounds as last rays of sunlight peaked over the monument, a blend of orange, pink, and purple hues painted the evening sky. The soft buzz of Konoha's lampposts filled the nearly empty streets, a melancholy punctuation to the day's events.

For most people, that is. Naruto had one last thing to do.

Unzipping his jacket, Naruto let the evening's cold air put him on edge, energizing his relaxed, lethargic nerves. Squatting, the blond began to stretch out the muscles in his legs, loosening them out of their tense repose. Pulling his elbows behind his head, Naruto felt his shoulders and back warm from the activity. Limber, the blonde felt satisfied. He lowered himself onto the cold, grassy scape of the academy training field, crossing his legs and letting his lids lightly shutter over his eyes.

He pushed out the day's concerns: tomorrow's meeting; the weight of the match; the warm shiver that creeped up his stomach when he thought of Hinata's deep, pearl-colored eyes. They faded farther into the background as Naruto felt the prickle of the wind become sharper, the crowing of the evening birds more focused.

Clear-minded, the jinchuuriki opened his eyes to see Lee staring back, stance wide, one arm behind his back and warm inviting the cadet to try his luck.

Naruto stood, unclasping the buckles of his crimson satchel, removing a paintbrush and roll of paper from the pack.

Kiba stepped between the two, nodding first to Lee, then to Naruto, ensuring that both parties were ready for their bout. Receiving the go-ahead, the Inuzuka shot his arm into the air. Cerulean orbs met black ones, flitting left and right as the opponents tried to decipher each other's first move. Naruto's grip tightened around the scroll and his paintbrush, a single bead of sweat rolling down his arm.

Kiba threw down his arm, calling out, "Hajime!"

Lee closed the distance between them before Naruto could even bring his hands into the familiar cross-shaped seal. The only space he was given was when the green-clad genin kicked the blond cadet back, launching him across the length of the field. Unrelenting, Lee thundered after the airborne Uzumaki. Disoriented but focused, Naruto finally completed the hand sign, three clones bursting into existence. One of the clones changed the blonde's trajectory, launching their creator upward while the second and third engaged the martial artist.

Lee swung a single kick at the inbound forms, dispelling both before turning his attention toward the third clone. Despite his speed, Lee was unable to reach the clone before it had completed the four-seal sequence to the Suidan no Jutsu, unleashing the torrent at his fuzzy-browed friend. Lee crossed his arms, the force of the attack pushing him back as he dug his heels into the ground. The airborne Naruto used the opening created by his clone to prepare an attack of his own, launching a barrage of kunai upon the earthbound genin.

Catching sight of the incoming attack, Lee leapt at the oncoming projectiles, snatching the first and using it to deflect the second and third. Lee launched his stolen kunai back at its owner, just in time for Uzumaki's lone shadow clone redirected the stream in his direction. Slammed back down to Earth, Lee tumbled back as he saw new clones attack him from either side, grabbing hold of his arms. Twisting, the genin broke free of the clones' grip before slamming his fists into their chests, dispelling them in a tuft of smoke.

Observing as the original Naruto landed on the ground, Lee made a beeline toward his opponent, leaving the gush of rushing water trailing behind him. Halfway to the Uzumaki, Lee was launched upward by a line of explosive tags that had been lain in anticipation of the genin's approach. Tumbling through the air, Lee righted himself in time to notice another hail kunai. Noticing the explosive tags, Lee spun a kick into the leading projectile, launching it back at the barrage and detonating them safely away from him.

Lee exhaled as he landed safely opposite Naruto, feeling a little more tired than expected. His bag of tricks was still deep, while Naruto had resorted to using the several same attacks on. Lee knew he was fast enough to avoid the clone's Suiton Jutsu, as well as to dodge any of Naruto's projectiles whenever he wasn't airborne. He just had to actually reach him.

Taking a gambit, Lee decided to straight for the clone. The kage bunshin ran through the familiar four seals before unleashing another torrent upon the coming genin. Rather than dodge, Lee launched a series of twirling kicks at the stream, cutting through the attack with sheer physicality. Reaching the clone, Lee dispelled it with a punch. He cut quickly to his right and barreled toward the original.

And just as he had expected, the blond had not lay any explosive tags where he had expected the clone to be covering. Launching his hand wraps at the young cadet, he tangled the jinchuuriki and yanked him close. Without any space to dodge, Lee began unleashing a flurry of spinning kicks upon the defenseless Naruto, each successive attack further lifting both combatants into the air.

At the peak of his ascent, Lee grabbed a hold of the of the blond and launched him back toward the ground, a cloud of dirt blooming out as he hit the earth. Lee dove straight for his opponent, foot extended and ready to break the young jinchuuriki.

However, rather than hit the Uzumaki, Lee crashed his kick right next to the heaving blond, unwilling to continue exacting damage during a spar.

Lee was heaving as well, but it was evident he had won their bout. Naruto struggled to stand, Kiba rushing to his side and offering the blond his shoulder.

"You fought well, Naruto," the young genin congratulated. "Had those explosive tags been lethal, I might have suffered more damage."

Through labored breaths, Naruto squeezed out his own set of compliments.

"You. Didn't. Even. Use. Ninjutsu." The blond exhaled. "How am I. Supposed to. Come Close. To beating you?"

The black-haired shinobi's eyes grew heavy, and he offered Naruto a sad smile.

"Naruto," he started. "I can't use ninjutsu."

Both Kiba and Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. The once raucous battlefield became silent, the heavy breathing of both fighters the only sound permeating the air.

"It's funny." Lee continued. "Some people are born lucky to be prodigies. Battle just comes naturally to them, like breathing or eating. Then you get everyone else, with average natural abilities, but who can work hard to overcome their weaknesses and grow to be pretty great shinobi.

"And then you get me. Rarer than a prodigy. I was born without the ability to mold chakra externally. If I had been born average, I would have been gifted an advantage everyone else seems to take for granted. Most jutsu above the kawarimi technique or simple bunshin are simply beyond me. The only thing available to me is taijutsu.

"You did a great job. Beating my ass. With only taijutsu." Naruto retorted, giving the green-clad genin a thumbs up."

"Because I had to find a way to make this work. All I ever wanted to be was a shinobi, and I wasn't going to let some birth defect stop me."

Lee made his way over to the blond and picked him up from his other shoulder. Staggering over toward the benches, Lee and Naruto collapsed, with Naruto much worse for wear compared to the martial artist.

"My only blessing was that I have a sensei who whole-heartedly believes in me. Who pushes me, even when I think I've used every last inch of myself."

Lee shifted in the bench, turning his gaze toward the two cadets. His breathing became more even, as he delivered to them his resolution.

"Someday, I will prove to my teammate that we CAN fight the fate we've been given. Our only shackles are the ones to which we succumb. Even a genius of hard work can defeat a natural one."

Naruto's breathing began to even out, though his legs still burned in protest as he tried to lift himself from the bench. Kiba caught the blonde before he fell onto the cold, hard Earth.

"Lee," Naruto scratched out through parched lips. "Give me your hands. Real quick."

Curious, Lee extended his arms out to the blonde, who delivered a small jolt of chakra to each. A seal array glowed green before turning ashy and crumbling into the wind. Lee felt his full energy return the moment the seal dissipated, body aches clearing and breath completely even.

"I placed. A draining. Seal on you." Naruto continued. "It's still pretty weak. Without using ninjutsu. You probably. Barely felt it."

"On anyone else, a seal so simple can be truly devastating. My curse became yours as well, Naruto."

"I guess. I'll need to find. Another way. To beat you." The blond exhaled.

Lee stood up, dusting off his green jumpsuit.

"I will let you to face me once a week, until you can finally beat me."

"But you better not slack off," He warned. "I'm going to be training the entire time."

"No way. Bushy-brows. You have my word. I will train. Everyday. Until I can beat you."

The green-clad shinobi gave the two cadets a wave, a symphony of crickets and setting sun staging his disappearance into the crisp Konohan night.

* * *

"Is this the kind of impression you want to make on the first day, Naruto?!" Iruka screeched.

The team had agreed to meet at training ground 10, a small, rarely-used plot of land found at the edge of the city's northern sector. While it was one of the few training areas within the city proper, the tight space and lack of vegetation meant it poorly simulated most environs in which a shinobi might find themselves doing battle. The gnarled, bare branches of the clearing's few trees offered few hiding places, and with the exception of five well-worn training dummies and the browning, fragile, half-broken blades of grass, it was just an empty field.

Iruka had chosen it specifically because he had hoped the tiny space and sparse amenities would provide little distraction to his team of aspiring-genin. Unfortunately, Naruto seemed to have found a way to circumvent their sensei's objectives. Despite the blond cadet's transformation over the last two years, his penchant for mischief still presented itself on occasion. The scar-faced teacher shook his head in defeat, sighing as he reached for his knapsack.

The blond grinned sheepishly. He probably overdid it last night. Really, with how quickly he healed, he probably could have forgone the bandages this morning and left them at home. But he wanted to show off the "battle scars" that his bout with the black-haired genin had left him, and because of how quickly his wounds healed, the blond knew he would need a more obvious way to symbolize his "injuries." And thus, the blond had buried his left eye in a mass of white medical wraps, leaving tufts of wild, blond hair spiking out from between the folds as the bandage encircled his scalp. Hamming up the performance, Naruto had decided to imitate a mummy as best he can, and covered his arms from top to bottom in an even thicker layer of fabric.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei. I had a bit of an accident while trying to combine the explosive tag formula with the henge no jutsu," the blond explained to the group. "Experimental seals can be kinda fickle."

Iruka crossed his arms over his chest, leering over the disruptive Uzumaki.

"At least you're not graffitiing the Hokage Monument," the scar-faced jounin sighed. Pulling three sheets of paper from his pack, Iruka handed one out to each of his students.

"Now, while our fourth-year lessons are supposed to be focused on teamwork, I figure that we can't really know each other if we first don't know ourselves.

"What I've given you here are sheets of Chakra Litmus paper. Putting your chakra into it-"

The blond's paper split in half before each half folded over, soggy.

"Can't you let me finish, Naruto!?" Iruka cried out, right as the Uchiha had decided to follow the Uzumaki's lead.

The corner of Sasuke's paper wrinkled before igniting and falling into ash.

Iruka couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped his lips.

"Well, Sakura," their sensei addressed. "You might as well find out for yourself."

Peering at her paper, Sakura injected a sliver of her chakra into the slip she had been given, watching as the paper hardened pieces flaking off as it crumbled into dust. She glanced at Iruka, eyes wide in wonder as the remnants were carried of by the autumn wind.

"Elemental affinities aren't something we really cover in the academy, but are rather fundamental to your development as a shinobi." Iruka began, "The special paper I just gave you reacts to the innate properties of you chakra to reveal each of your particular chakra affinities."

Pointing towards his brunet student, the scar-faced jounin continue with his explanation.

"The Uchiha were well-known for being the village's most capable arsonists, so it's no surprise Sasuke has an affinity to fire. However, it seems that you're also just as naturally talented with lightning."

The Uchiha remained silent, shrugging his shoulders and leaning against one of the training dolls.

Iruka shifted his attention toward the blond, who could barely contain his glee.

"The wind type is pretty rare here in Konoha, though considering your lineage, I'm not entirely surprised. Off the top of my head, I can really only think of one jounin with an affinity for wind, but seeing as he's on a long-term mission outside of the village, you might have to master it on your own."

Deflated, Naruto puffed his cheeks in disappointment and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, I guess I'm used to that sort of thing by now," the blond grumbled. "What about my affinity for water?"

Iruka gave the Uzumaki a nod, addressing the young blond's concerns.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a MASTER with the element, but it's my second best by far, so I have a few techniques I can show you when the time comes."

The pink-ette raised her hand in the air, drawing the attention of the group's sensei.

"Yes, Ms. Haruno?"

"You said, 'When the time comes.' Does that mean you're not going to teach us any techniques today, Iruka-sensei?" she questioned.

Iruka could feel Sasuke and Naruto's stares trying their hardest to crack him.

"I wouldn't put it that way, Sakura." Their young teacher explained, hoping to calm the overly eager males. "The first step to mastering your natural affinity is learning how to properly control and channel your chakra."

"But Iruka-sensei!" the blond cut in. "I already know HOW to use a water jutsu. What's chakra control going to do for me?"

"A great question, Naruto," the brunet teacher addressed. "Though the hand seals help manipulate the chakra into the form you want, they only do the bulk of the work. They can tell your chakra to become 'water-like,' but they don't transform your chakra into the water itself.

"Not only are your jutsu less effective, but you're also using more chakra just trying to get started. A fully-molded and manipulated technique will be far stronger than one that is incomplete."

"So what are you going to do to show us how to better control our chakra?" Sasuke interrogated.

"Thank you for that segue, Sasuke," the Umino responded, aikido-ing the Uchiha's sharp comment into his lesson plan. Reaching into his hip pocket, Iruka tossed a kunai at each of his students' feet.

"We're going to learn how to walk up trees."

The Uchiha scoffed before rolling his eyes, while Naruto's visible eye-lid began twitching in response.

"Tree-walking, sensei?" the blond began. "How is that going to help us control our chakra?"

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

Iruka moved toward one of the field's few trees, walking up the trunk until he reached the first branch.

"You need to proper channel the chakra in your feet in order to adhere to the tree. Too little force…"

Decreased the amount of chakra he channeled into his feet, Iruka began to slide down before catching himself and once again sticking to the trunk.

"And you'll slide right down. Too much chakra-" Iruka spiked the amount this time, denting the tree and propelling himself in the group's direction. Hands landing first, Iruka handsprung and flipped onto his feet, landing in front of his wide-eyed students.

Occasionally, Iruka would indulge in theatricality.

"Too much chakra, and you'll blow yourself right off of the tree trunk.

"It's not just about learning how to properly channel your own chakra, but to understand what 'too little' or 'too much' _feels _like." Iruka continued.

"The kunai are there for you to mark your way up."

Sasuke bent down, snatching the kunai from the ground and giving the naked tree a skeptical look.

"If that doesn't convince you guys, how about this," their young sensei proposed.

"As soon as you can make it all the way up and down that tree without any breaks, I'll give each of you a new jutsu to learn."

Naruto broke off into a sprint toward the closest tree, kunai in hand and with a mission to accomplish.

* * *

He shouldn't have been surprised it only took them an entire morning and half of an afternoon. Sakura had a natural inclination toward fine chakra control, and Naruto and Sasuke were both naturally talented and hard-working.

Adding an incentive just poured fuel on the proverbial fire. The boys attacked the tree with vigor, though it was the young girl who mastered the exercise first. Offering her advice to Naruto, who was then needed to transmit the information past the Uchiha's ego, she helped put into words what fine-tuning their chakra was supposed to feel like.

Sasuke had been second, smirking at the blond as he stepped off the tree and onto the ground, having completed a full lap up and down his tree. Naruto, however, was stuck trying to manage the pivot from going up to coming back down. He had kept coming unstuck as he lifted one leg to turn on the other, not able to compensate for having to hold himself to the trunk with only one foot.

Climbing up after her friend, Sakura gave Naruto a steady shoulder to lean on, while Sasuke went over to a training doll to hone his shuriken and kunai work.

The sun hung steady and bright over the field as lunch time came and went. Within the following hour, Naruto had finally made his way back down the trunk, finally catching up to his teammates in mastering the tree-walking technique.

Pulling several scrolls from his knapsack, Iruka walked over to the trio and began to explain the next phase of their training.

"I didn't expect to give these to you until the end of the day, but I guess now is as good of a time as any."

Walking over to Sakura, he handed the girl three scrolls.

"Sadly, I only know two Earth-style jutsu: the Mud Wall, and the Mud Shot. They're both rudimentary, but they will help you become familiar with the feel of Earth Release techniques."

"What's in the third scroll sensei?" Sakura asked.

"The third is a set of instructions on exercises to help you master Earth manipulation."

He turned toward Sasuke and handed the boy another set of three scrolls.

"Fire is my best nature, but, to be honest Sasuke, I don't have anything the Uchiha's archives don't. I do however have a basic offensive lightning technique that should prove useful."

Unable to hide his curiosity, the Uchiha snagged the proffered scroll from Iruka and opened it with a speedy poise.

"The 'Scattering Drops' technique shoots out a number of thunderbolts at your opponent. It's faster than the Phoenix Fire, but at the cost of power.

"The other two scrolls are for the fire and lightning exercises."

Sasuke nodded, taking the other two scrolls and laying them next to his first.

Finally, Iruka made his way toward the blond, who could hardly contain his excitement.

"Seeing as you already know one water jutsu, I figured we should focus on a wind technique," Iruka stated, handing Naruto the first scroll.

"The Breakthrough technique is a very basic wind jutsu, expelling a gust to blow back your opponents. Imbue it with enough chakra, and you'll be able to stop any projectile coming your way."

"So basically, the best defensive is sometimes a great offense?" the blond questioned.

"Something like that, though you'd be hard-pressed to find any defensive wind-style jutsu. At least in Konoha. With so few wind masters, there hasn't been too much innovation on that front."

Iruka handed the blond the two scrolls for the wind and water exercises before returning to center stage. Placing his hands into the familiar cross-shaped seal, the teacher created a set of three shadow clones.

"Since we've got a few hours 'til sundown, how about we try our hand at nature manipulation?"

* * *

His brain felt fried.

Iruka's shadow clone had had him trying to learn how to slice a leaf with his chakra. It was supposed to help him understand how wind worked, and how to best manipulate his chakra to refine it into wind. Needless to say, it had not gone well. His chakra reserves were barely touched, yet the amount of concentration he needed to so much as put a small crease on the leaf had been taxing. Sure, seals required concentration, but they weren't as abstract as nature manipulation. He understood the basics behind a formula. This wind exercise… it required a lot of imagination.

Iruka had already dismissed the team, Sakura heading back home for supper while Sasuke tried his hardest to ignite his leaf.

Laying down, Naurto watched as the first signs of dusk began to appear on the horizon. Pulling in the evening's cool air, Naurto took a deep breath before closing his eyes and pushing the day's thoughts and struggles to the side. As his senses opened themselves to the abundant signs of life that permeated the clearing, he could make out the crunching of grass beneath the heft of sandled feet. Naruto exhaled and allowed his eyes to open, his single exposed cobalt iris staring back into Sasuke's near black ones.

"You know, dobe," Sasuke began, "You could have just said you got your ass handed to you."

The blond pursed his lips and exhaled a deep breath. Turning his eyes back toward the horizon, Naruto gave a quick nod to his left. The Uchiha complied, crossing his legs and taking a place next to the blond's head.

"I know you've been itching to tell me what happened, so how about we skip the usual banter and you get to the point."

Naruto tucked his outstretched legs underneath his backside and sat himself up. Removing the bandages from his face and revealing his other crystal-blue eye, Naruto looked at the bemused smirk that graced his rival's face.

"I don't think you'd stand much of a chance, Sasuke," Naruto provoked. "He's got a year of extra training on us, and he's too fast."

"Yeah, but everything's too fast for you, dobe" Sasuke hit back.

"He can easily cross an academy field in two seconds, and he's got insane taijutsu. He kicked his way through my _Suidan no jutsu_, and I get the feeling he was taking it easy against me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto, asking his companion to continue with his story.

"The guy is teammates with that Neji bastard, so it's no surprise he's also super strong. I wouldn't be surprised if he could crush a rock without using a drop of chakra."

"Alright, Naruto." Sasuke interjected, having gleaned enough from the other boy's narrative. "You win. You've intrigued me. Where do we find this guy?"

"His name is Rock Lee, and he usually trains out by training ground 3 with the rest of his team. That guy practices all day, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's still out there."

"So in summary, he's an incredibly fast taijutsu user who hits like a truck and trains with a Hyuuga. Anything else you wanna tell me, dobe?"

The blond gave Sasuke a wide grin and shook his head in the negative.

"I just wanna see you get your ass kicked, teme."

"That's a bigger dream than wanting to be Hokage, dobe."

Standing up, Naruto dusted the grass from his shorts and the back of his jacket. Checking back, he saw that his rival was already walking through the front gate, giving no indication that he would wait for Naruto to be done composing himself. Breaking into a light run, the Uzumaki chased after the last Uchiha, leaving behind the creaky dolls and bare trees of the decrepit training ground ten.

* * *

They found Lee on training ground 3, bare fists battering one if the wooden posts into a blistered heap of pulp and splinters. A coat of sweat covered his forehead, his green jumpsuit stained dark. Moving onto an adjacent post, the genin continued his onslaught, arms and legs blurring as he pulverized his next target.

Picking up the bickering voices of the two cadets, Lee turned his back to the post and witnessed as the Uzumaki and his companion made their approach.

"Yosh, Naurto!" the taijutsu specialist greeted, wiping his brow dry. "I'm surprised to see you here this evening. I did not expect to see you again until our bout this Sunday."

Their greeting was immediately cut off by a rather perturbed Sasuke, whose eyes were scrunched in distaste.

"Naruto, is this some kind of joke?" the brunet started, irritation evident in his voice. "I thought you promised me a good spar, not some kind of circus performer."

The green-clad genin smirked at the Uchiha's insults, walking over to the two.

"I see you have let my appearances dictate your judgment, Uchiha-san," Lee interjected. "You wouldn't be the first."

Sasuke turned his attention from the Uzumaki to Lee, letting the blond free of his grip.

"If you are aware of who I am, you should know my reputation," Sasuke opened. "I'm nothing like the blond-haired idiot who you managed to beat before."

Sasuke settled into a fighting stance, legs taking up a short L-shaped stance, one arm stretched out and the other by his face.

"If you're really worth my time, lets cut the pleasantries and you show me what you're made of."

Lee adopted his wider stance, hand out-stretched in its customary beckon.

Taking the unspoken invitation, Sasuke kicked himself back, launching a _Gokakyu no jutsu_ as Lee pistoned toward him. The genin pulsed chakra into his legs, crushing the ground beneath him as he pushed off and flipped himself over the looming fireball. Wasting no time, Sasuke launched a set of kunai at the airborne genin, before reaching into his pocket and launching a volley of shuriken right behind them.

Seeing too many to properly parry, Lee drew his own shuriken and launched an offensive of his own. Sparks flew and steel clashed with steel as the projectiles met in midair, raining back down onto the ground as Lee successfully dodged a pair of kunai in midair.

Sasuke smirked, channeling chakra up the ninja wire he'd hooked onto the ends of two of his errant kunai. The two kunai came alive, bending their trajectory toward one another before Sasuke sent another jolt of chakra and caused the projectiles to wrap around the genin's legs.

Seeing himself caught in the cadet's attacked, Lee reached for a second set of shuriken, but was caught off balance when he felt the lines yank him back toward the earth, slamming him onto his back.

A cloud of dust exploded from the ground in the wake of Lee's crash, obscuring the Uchiha's vision of his opponent. Pulling on the wire once again, Sasuke's arms tensed as he found himself unable to budge the genin. Instead, Sasuke was yanked toward the cloud, a fist burying itself into his abdomen as he was yo-yo'd back out. Peering back at Lee, he saw the shinobi with his legs handing in the air, one arm connected to the ground and the other extended in a fist.

"A worthy tactic, Uchiha-san," Lee called out. "But I have walked around the entire village on my own two hands countless times. Fighting with my legs incapacitated is second-nature to me."

Feeling the wire tense as Sasuke had reached the apex of his trajectory, Lee placed both hands on the ground and kicked his legs behind him, pulling the disoriented cadet toward him.

As he was pulled toward Lee, the wire slackened, and Sasuke took the opportunity to reach into his pouch and grab hold of a kunai. Abandoning his tactic, he cut the wire, just in time for him to reach the green-clad ninja. Lee took his opportunity to kick the defenseless Uchiha into the air, chakra pulsing into his legs as he pushed himself up toward Sasuke's ascending form.

Turning, Lee delivered a thundering kick into the Uchiha's chest, launching the young prodigy back down to the earth as the genin gracefully tumbled back down to the ground. It was Sasuke's turn to be obscured by dust, having cracked the ground as he landed on his backside. Falling back into a defensive stance, Lee sat in wait for his opponent, ready for the cadet to make his next move.

"The dobe said you were fast, but I didn't think you'd be hard to see as well."

The dust cleared, revealing Sasuke's shirt torn across the back, and with several scrapes and cuts along his arms and legs.

"I underestimated you, Rock Lee. A mistake I won't do again." Pulling two kunai from his pouch, Sasuke held them in a reverse grip and decided to place himself on the defensive. His stance wider than before, Sasuke watched as his opponent nodded in his direction.

"Yosh!" Lee cried out. "I am happy to receive your respect, Uchiha-san.

"But it won't earn you any quarter!"

It took two seconds for Lee to close the distance between himself and Sasuke. Taking aim at the Uchiha's head, Lee launched roundhouse, forcing the young cadet to lean back to avoid getting knocked out. However, he missed Lee's follow up, a trip which swept the young brunet off of his feet. As Lee zeroed in for a punch, Sasuke launched a _Gokakyu no jutsu _right at Lee's face, forcing the genin back.

Bandages in flames but face no worse for wear, the black-haired boy shook the tattered pieces off cloth from his arms. Sasuke launched another barrage of kunai at Lee, forcing the taijutsu expert cut-short his approach and dodge to the side.

Flashing through a set of hand seals, Sasuke launched the _Hosenka no jutsu_ at Lee, each flame crashing into the Earth as an increasingly pressed Lee found his forward movement interrupted by the hail of moves the Last Uchiha had unleased upon him.

But all Sasuke was doing was slowing down the genin's movements, and he was out of options to outright stop Lee. He only had one more fire move left in him. Watching as Lee dodged the last of his fireballs, he noticed the black-haired shinobi was breathing deeply, but with a lot more in reserve than he did.

Cursing, Sasuke grabbed another handful of shuriken and threw them at Lee, hoping to buy himself a few seconds to assess the situation. Having grown accustomed to the Uchiha's attack patterns, Lee plucked two of the stars out of the air and launched them back at the oncoming ones. With no more projectiles heading his way, Lee bolted toward his opponent, dust kicking up behind him as Lee cracked the earth with his chakra-enhanced steps.

Sasuke ran through the familiar set of the _Gokakyu's _hand seals but was kicked upward before he could finish the last one. Trapping him in the air, Lee pelted the cadet with a salvo of kicks with such dizzying speed that the genin himself remained airborne.

Body and pride aching, the Uchiha mustered the last of his strength to block each of Lee's kicks. As soon as he caught the first one, a second buried itself into his exposed flank, knocking the wind out of him.

Defenses worn to nothing, Lee launched one final kick at the Uchiha, preparing to send him back to down to earth and add to the rubble he'd already created. As he connected with the cadet's body, rather than missile back toward earth, the Uchiha snapped back in the air, as though her were caught by piece of string…

Peering down, Lee made out the familiar sheen of ninja wire wrapped around his left foot, surmising that brunet had placed it on him as he'd caught his attack.

Tracing it back toward his opponent, Lee gazed at the battered Uchiha, as crimson-red eyes gazing back, a single comma swirling in each. Blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth, as his chest puffed out. Looking down, he noticed the boy's hands shaped into a tiger seal, recognizing it as the last one of the _Gokakyu no jutsu._

_Shit!_

Sasuke pumped every last remaining drop of his chakra into the move, throat burning as the attack swelled and swelled. Unable to move, Sasuke was only inches away from the fireball as it detonated, launching both boys across opposite ends of the field.

Helpless, he was surprised that rather than find himself crashing into the cold, hard earth of the training ground, he'd landed in the outstretched arms of his blond rival.

"Fucking got him," Sasuke rasped out, too exhausted to complain about his rival's proximity.

"Yeah teme, you definitely did more damage than I did."

Sasuke loosed himself from the jinchuuriki's grip, but placed an arm around his shoulder when he realized he lacked the energy to even stand properly.

His eyes burned, taking in every detail of the field before them. Though the sun had almost finished it's daily descent behind the Hokage monument, he noticed everything as though it were clear as day. Sasuke blinked, wondering if it was a trick of the light. But his vision did not reset as he reopened his eyes. He looked at Naruto, slightly making out the movements of his lips before the words even left his mouth.

His breath hitched.

"Looks like you got what you wanted out of this one too, Sasuke-teme."

Sasuke knew exactly what that meant. Once he finally concentrated, he could make it out: the tiny thread of chakra his eyes were pulling from his stomach, flaring his birthright to life.

"Looks like you're going to have to work harder to keep up, dobe," the Uchiha teased, unable to keep the satisfaction from his voice.

"Yosh! Well done, Uchiha-san!"

The were caught completely off-guard by the appearance of Lee, torso bare and chest singed from the attack. Blisters riddled his lower arms, and his hands looked several shades darker than his face. Eyebrows shorter, and his bowl-cut ruffled with burnt ends, the genin gave the two cadets his infamous nice-guy pose.

"You have got to be joking." Naruto let out, frustration evident on both cadets' faces.

"Though I am unable to mold chakra for the use of ninjutsu, I can use it very effectively to reinforce my body against attacks."

"That was a point-blank explosion, fuzzy-brows! What is your body made of?!" Naruto shouted.

"I spend every second awake training, whether I am brushing my teeth or taking a shower, there is no place I am not in some way practicing to make my body more resilient."

The genin held his arms up to Naruto and Sasuke.

"Obviously, I don't come unscathed from an attack like that. Even now, I can feel my nerves on fire. But as shinobi, we must learn to treat pain just like any other sensation."

The black-haired taijutsu expert turned his attention toward his opponent, noticing the single tomoe in each of his eyes.

"My teammate also possess a powerful doujutsu, one which gives him an advantage over me."

"The Hyuuga is even stronger than you?" Sasuke asked, his curiosity winning over his exhaustion.

"He is, but that advantage is slim." Lee answered. "It won't be long before I show him that even a 'loser' like myself can beat his natural genius.

"But make no mistake Uchiha-san, you are exceptional for someone not even out of the academy. The both of you are."

"All I did was wind you, and Sasuke nearly killed himself to put a dent in you." Naruto replied, disappointment lacing his tone. "How the hell am I supposed to beat someone so far beyond me?"

"This is how legends are born, Naruto. We're just at the beginning. But with training, we'll come to surpass the ones who came before us.

"It just requires patience and dedication. And a rival who will push you to greater heights. It looks like you two have found someone worthy of bearing that title."

Lee turned back toward the training posts, giving his back to the two cadets.

"The sun has almost set, and I plan to finish up my daily exercises. I would suggest the two of you eat hardy and get some rest. The goal post is constantly moving forward."

With that, Lee left the two behind, reaching into his knapsack and pulling out a set of bandages.

"Can you walk, teme?" the blond asked, turning toward the Uchiha.

"Yeah, I just needed to catch my breath for a few seconds." Sasuke unlatched himself from the Uzumaki, but stumbled as he tried to take a step forward.

"Let me help you out, teme. Swear to God I won't tell anyone."

Sasuke stared at the blond, sighing and leaning into Naruto's support.

"You better not, dobe. You do, and I'll be looking for a new rival."

The two made their way to gate, the Uchiha leaning on the Uzumaki as he limped forward. Even with is pride wounded, he'd readily admit the day had left him with several gains. Though the Sharingan was at the top of that list, he acknowledged that discovering his lightning affinity was bound to have its uses. As the last beams of light retreated from village, and the light posts rattled to life, the Uchiha began to wonder whether his progress would ever reach his brother's, and if he would ever have what it took to avenge his clan.

* * *

Behold my walls of text!

The first 10 k words were finished sometime last Sunday. I've put in about 80 hours of work this week, and have barely any time to write. Here's to my one day off!

Real question: Is there any easy way to space out my writing? I've tried doing it in Word, but this website really likes condensing everything to single-spacing. Even when I add the spaces in on my own, it just reverts it when I try to save.

Lee was pretty difficult for me to write. He has this inflated kind of chauvinistic demeaner going on in canon, and it's hard to accurately get that balance across. He's a bit everywhere.

Hinata is growing in confidence. Which I'm looking forward to because I kind of hate writing that stutter. And Naruto is starting to get some fee-fee's as well! Ooooh what am I gonna do with that. I mean, nothing yet, because they're still like, 12. But we gonna have some fun with their youthful confusion.

No Chouji or Shika this chapter, but do expect them to make an appearance some time next chapter.

Speaking of the next chapter, expect some developments! Sure, we got the Sharingan, put I'm definitely planning several fun things for next time. Chapter 5 should bring around the next arc in our story, and I can't wait for the REAL plot to start getting off the ground.

Thanks so much for your reviews. A big shout out to Leaf Ranger, Lagadatte, Adamant39 and Midnight Rain19 for giving your time to reading and critiquing my fic. You all have brought up such fantastic things to focus on, and I hope I can adequately address your points with my writing.

Anyway, because of how busy my schedule is, you can expect that the next chapter won't get a lot of work until about mid-December, when my current rotation ends. I should get a good amount of time to dedicate to this around then. Just in time for the holidays!

Please, please, PLEASE, leave me your comments. Don't like something, feel like there are contradictions in places, or like I've totally mischaracterized someone, drop me a line. I only get better with feedback. And I want to deliver something you enjoy.

'Til next time!


	4. The Calm Before Pt 1 - Bittersweet

A/N: I decided to upload the first half of the chapter I had planned out while I work on the second half. This thing still ended up being over 10 k words. Guess that makes me bad at taking advice.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

* * *

They stood shoulder to shoulder, three rows deep and nine shinobi across. To his left, front and center of the formation, was the bandana-clad lead Tokujo educator himself. Ebisu, a slave to formality, stood rigid with his arms firmly statuesque at his side. The only evidence of life from him was the light whisper of a breath that escaped from him every few seconds. To his right, with a young garden snake slinking out of her coat sleeve and taking the occasional nibble out of his right butt cheek, was the spitfire known as Anko Mitarashi. Somehow, she had yet to betray a smile, though the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and the slight elevation in her cheek bones were enough for Iruka to understand that she was clearly enjoying the teasing. Unwilling to increase her satisfaction, the brunet focused his attention at the empty podium, distracting himself from the snakes gentle nipping by attempting to develop a newfound love and respect for the way wood grain arranged itself in each plank of the floor.

The clash of a door against its steel frame rang out behind him, announcing their Kage's entrance. He made out the faint scent of tobacco wafting toward him, the only sign that Hiruzen was making his way toward the front of the room. As he finally entered their field of vision, out of the corner of his eye Iruka was astonished to see that Ebisu had found a way to tense himself even more.

_"His sphincter could probably fold steel," _the snake bit out to him in Morse code. Iruka let the corners of his mouth pull into a small smile. Ungluing his eyes from the podium, he shot his gaze to his right, catching mirthful eyes and the faintest glimmer of a grin adorning her face.

A throaty rasp escaped from the Hokage, calling all of those present to attention. Removing the pipe from his mouth and rolling loose a stream of grey, billowing smoke, he placed his hands on either side of the podium and called the meeting to attention.

"At ease." Came his first command. Immediately, shoulders slouched, hands found their ways into pockets while other arms folded themselves across chests. To his left, Iruka noticed Ebisu's neck angle down ever so slightly, shoulders lowering millimeters and his breaths becoming more spaced out and deeper.

_"I really hope he didn't shit himself." _Anko tapped out on his sleeve, electing to use the nail of her pinky rather than that fangs of her tiny messenger snake.

Iruka felt his cheeks burn as he tried to smother the laugh that was threatening to crack his face. Faking a cough, Iruka's hand flew toward his mouth, clamping down so he wouldn't begin cackling in front of the Hokage. Anko, for her part, barely showed a grin. But that was Anko for you: she hardly ever shared a real emotion with anyone.

"I have been very impressed with the progress of the cadets these last two months," Hiruzen began. "The more personalized touch you have been able to provide to your trainees has yielded dividends for our village's blossoming shinobi."

Well, that was certainly an understatement. Especially concerning his team.

But deep down, he knew he could hardly take credit for that. From that first day, amongst the bare trees and dilapidated dolls of training ground ten, the budding synergy of Team Iruka had been evident. He had easily anticipated that Naruto's growing strength would earn Sasuke's respect, helping the Uchiha slowly integrate with the rest of the team. What he would have never expected was the recognition and deference the brunet would show to the pink-ette. Where Sakura lacked the raw overwhelming power of Naruto or the technical breath and acumen of the Uchiha, she was a master tactician and had outmaneuvered each of her teammates a number of times. That she had caught the Uchiha in a genjutsu a number of times, despite the latter's natural talent in the subject, was the least shocking aspect of their relationship. He had actually caught HER tutoring HIM on the finer points of the art on several occasions, trying to explain the importance of subtlety and detail in weaving illusion into reality. And while Sakura's ability to command her elemental affinity paled when compared to the prodigious progress to blond had achieved in manipulating wind and water, the few Earth-style techniques she did know harmonized incredibly well with her combat style.

Naruto had hardly allowed Sasuke to forget the time Sakura had buried him neck deep into the ground while the Haruno had placed a double-layered genjutsu on him.

In return, Sasuke had never let Naruto forget the time Sakura had used a mud clone to smear one of Naruto's seal arrays, causing the Uzumaki to end up mummified by his own charka-laden bandages.

Needless to say, they had stopped underestimating her after that. She was incredibly quick in finding the blind spots in the boy's tactics, and she was relentless when it came to exploiting them.

"While some of your cadets still lag behind the new standard we are trying to establish," Hiruzen continued, "I am content to see that, on the whole, our new curriculum is turning out to be a success."

The incredible truth of the matter was that, whereas only 27 cadets graduated the academy, he fully expected at least 42 to make it through this year. And only time would tell how many ended up making it to full genin.

"Several of your teams have exceeded even my wildest expectations, with a number of your squads operating at the level of high-genin."

It was rare that even a single team could operate at that level right out of the academy. Usually, it would be an individual shinobi who would display a talent beyond those of the rest, as was the case with Team Jiraiya and Team Minato. Sarutobi's own cell had been one of the exceptions, already developing a reputation within the Hidden Leaf one year out of the academy. That a quarter of the teams were already flourishing was a testament not only to the success of the curriculum, but also to the talent that the village had at its disposal.

"Given these facts, I have opted to push the envelope a bit."

Out of reflex, Iruka felt an eyebrow twitch up in curiosity.

"Some would say it premature, but to those teams capable, I have decided to begin assigning minor missions."

At that, hushed muttering began to break out amongst the shinobi, taken aback by the bold nature of the Hokage's decision. Hiruzen raised his palm toward the group of gathered instructors, a silent gesture which they acknowledged by quickly quieting down.

"While my decision may seem abrupt, I assure you it was not made in haste. I have been monitoring the progress of each of your teams, and I feel that a significant number of them are capable of undertaking assignments for the village.

"I understand the apprehension many of you may feel upon hearing this news, but trust that I will not assign anything beyond the capabilities of your squads."

Pausing briefly, the Hokage examined each of the 27 gathered. To his surprise, and satisfaction, fear seemed to be scarce amongst the faces of his instructors. Doubt: plenty. Apprehension: certainly. Some, as evidenced by the sultry smirk and hungry eyes of the snake mistress, seemed tantalized. Hearing no protest, Hiruzen continued.

"For those I have deemed ready, you can expect to hear from me tonight concerning your duties. For those who are not, you will receive a summoning to my office when such a time has come. Until that time, please continue to foster your students' growth. Not only are your trainees depending on you, but so too does the village as a whole."

The Tokujo remained quiet, contemplating Hiruzen's words.

Iruka began running the calculations. Missions meant not just a salary bump, but additional income with each assignment undertaken. Assuming they were receiving at least D-rank payout, Iruka could double his income if his team could accomplish a steady stream of missions each week. He HAD been eyeing a new apartment farther away from the town's boisterous center. A quiet spot, with a view overlooking the Land of Fire's seemingly endless forest… Yeah, that extra income would definitely be nice. Plus, it's not like Hiruzen was going to send them on any suicide missions. How hard could these new assignments be?

Hearing no dissent, Hiruzen picked his pipe up from the stand.

"Dismissed," he announced.

Silently, the jounin arranged themselves into a single line, allowing for the Hokage to leave first as they filed out behind him. Walking into the atrium, the regiment watched as the last bit of Sarutobi's robes slinked past the front door. As it clasped behind him, the contingent of shinobi let a collective gasp escape them, breaking into their small cliques to gossip over the new developments.

Anko slipped her arm into the crook of Iruka's, yanking the scarred brunet closer to herself, taking him off balance.

"Come on, Iruka-chan," she sing-songed to her younger companion. "Let's snatch Mr. Tight Ass and grab ourselves a drink."

* * *

Cobalt eyes traced back over the sprawling array of symbols to which he had just put his finishing touches. Wet black streaks were arranged with architectural precision, no width a coincidence and no overlay a mistake. Standing up and taking several steps back, he finally took in the completed work: from table end to table end, a thick parchment lay sprawled open. Even by artisanal standards, this was a masterpiece. The three circles were arranged in a triangular pattern, each one filled to the brim with an uninterrupted mélange of glyphs, scripts and characters.

He'd once overheard a debate between two civilian professors at the Shady Tree Café, concerning the nature of art. While the two academics agreed that art was, at its simplest, a physical representation of emotion meant to be interpreted by an ambiguously identified audience, they differed upon the strictness of the definition of that representation. Oddly, it was the elder one, with his grey, sharpened beard and a midnight blue sports coat, who took on the more radical view. Even in disciplines as rigid as mathematics, he argued, each person arranged their equations and formulas in a manner the individual found both most utile and physically pleasing. No one person derived the same way. And he bet his brash young counterpart that their mutual acquaintance, the head of the psychology department at their university, could psychoanalyze an individual just by glancing at their scripts. The younger scoffed, a posh finger pushing her marble-patterned, turquoise glasses up a softly sloping tan nose.

He'd thought the whole thing absurd at the time. Why did the civilians always devote their time to pondering things so inconsequential?

But as he delved deeper into the sealing arts, he began to understand the old codger's point. Even though this mural of symbols was a smattering of gibberish to nearly all who would ever come across it, just a look at the intention of each stroke, the arrangement of each adjacent emblems, communicated a fantastic passion for the craft.

But even beyond the physical manifestation of his toil, Naruto felt some thing far deeper, a more primal satisfaction, that could not be captivated by ink and scroll.

It was both calming and cathartic.

It was a symphony, an opera, a three-act play.

Every stroke a note, every layer a scene.

He was the author, and his language was unique.

"This one, on the bottom right," Shikamaru pointed out, vexation masking his piqued intrigue. "What's its purpose again."

Naruto screwed the cap back onto his ink well, dipping his brush into a tin can filled with an inky-grey miasma. Standing up, the blond inched down, gingerly grasping the can and leaving it outside of the hideout's entrance.

"That one is the foundational array. In and of itself, Mito classified it as low-to-moderate difficulty seal, but essential to any non-temporary sealing you may want to do on a person."

The Uzumaki pointed to a repeating triplet pattern of glyphs which made the outer edge of the circle, the first a snake, the second a whirlpool, the third a dragon. Clockwise to the dragon, a stroke curved out thirty-nine degrees, reaching another snake, another whirlpool, and another dragon. The pattern repeated another 7 times, coming full circle. From each of the eight whirlpools, a single stroke radiated outward, shaping the array into a primitive sun. radiating inward from each whirlpool was a single, short arrow, the vertex of each arrowhead terminating at the opening of a deeper, concentric circle.

"The outer lines allow my chakra to leave my system and enter the array, with the whirlpool glyph acting as a sieve. The arrow circuits that chakra into the deeper section of the array. Right here, inside the second circle, you see the eight kanji for "smother?" As the chakra is shunted through, these prevent the chakra from overwhelming the inner "fountain" array, and leaking out and destabilizing the whole thing."

"If the "smother" characters are meant to suppress the potency of your chakra, what's the purpose of the circumferential shunt?" the Nara questioned. "Wouldn't that unnecessarily burn invested chakra?"

"For any non-Uzumaki, you'd be right. But we have so much chakra, our foundational seals need ways to recirculate all of that extra energy without the flood decaying the array. Most Uzumaki only needed 4 of these things in order to balance out their chakra."

"So what, you're like some super Uzumaki or something?" Shikamaru deadpanned.

"I wish. I might be better than the average, but Mito off-handedly said she would need like 64 of these things if she wanted to have any perma-seals tattooed onto her. Didn't really explain why, but I think she was secretly housing some kind of massive chakra bomb."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. God, it bordered on obnoxious the way the blond deified his ancestors.

"So, how did you calculate 8 would do the trick?"

"Even number seems to be the key. The basic theory is that even quantities are used for balancing and containing, while odd-number seals are usually used for disruption or destruction."

"I take it you tried the four first?"

"Yeah, and it was an easy enough design to copy. Unfortunately, the moment I tried to spark some of my chakra into it, I was left with second degree burns in the palm of my hand. The six-gated seal faired much better, but only lasted a few hours before it disintegrated. Given the exponential progress made, I think 8 should be sufficient."

"And what about the fact that any day now, you're going to start going through puberty and your coil's capacity will multiply by some ungodly amount? Do you rewrite the seal from scratch?"

"I don't completely have it down, but the Uzumaki apparently had a technique that let you deposit a perma-seal back onto a scroll, letting you break the array back down into its layers for reworking. Mito makes a couple of mentions of it in her textbook, but I don't see any chapters dedicated to learning it."

Shikamaru gazed at the array, wondering how someone so hot-headed could ever appreciate, let alone become proficient, in something so mind-numbingly fastidious.

"And so you're just going through with this? Without knowing how to reverse the seal?"

"Worst comes to worse, I'll force an overload and give myself second degree burns."

Shikamaru sighed, knowing there was no way to convince the blond to be a bit more patient.

"Doesn't your ancestor's journal say something about patience and planning?"

"You mean rule 13? The one followed by, 'Do not fear risk. It is on occasion the only way through.'"

The Nara shook his head, turning around and heading for the door.

"Well, I'll be outside in case this doesn't go according to plan. At least one of us needs to be able to get the other to the Emergency Room."

Naruto watched as the resident genius made his way out of their hideout, shutting the door behind him. Lifting up the maroon rug that covered the floor of their common space, the blond revealed a dim, smoldering green seal. Placing a finger into its center, the jinchuuriki sparked a pulse of chakra into the array, igniting the medley of symbols into a neon glow. A film of energy crawled up the inner walls of the tree trunk, insulating their hideout from the quake of energy unleashed by such a complex sealing.

Next, the blond made his way to the parchment spilling over either side of his work bench. Giving the three arrays one last glance, Naruto placed a hand on each of the bottom arrays, pushing chakra into each cluster. Rotating his hands, the right clockwise and the left counter-clockwise, the blond began to meld the designs together, the glyphs igniting into a fluorescent orange-red as they blended into each other. Every inch threatened volatility, each symbol convulsing under the strain. As the two bottom seals finally merged, hot and trembling in aftershock, the blond freed his left hand and positioned it over the top array. Like it's counterparts, the characters trembled as he flooded the design with chakra, forcing the final part of the seal into the searing, luminescent pattern burning under his right hands. It screeched in protest, the last of the glyphs falling into place, finally crawling up Naruto's right hand before it began carving itself into his palm.

The Uzumaki grit his teeth as the seal's incandescence ebbed away, ink imbedding into his skin and releasing a light stream of steam. Looking down, the blond could see the seal stabilizing, its characters still and no longer protesting the invasion of the blond's chakra.

Flexing his fingers, Naruto noted no effects in his mobility, tapping his thumb against each other digit in rapid succession.

Grabbing a kunai, Naruto concentrated chakra into his palm, causing the seal to flash orange before the kunai poofed out of existence, the only of evidence of its presence a fading wisp of grey smoke. Slowly, the edges of the seal cooled back to nothingness, the burning orange markings dimming to black.

Palm empty, the blond turned his hand over to observe the effects the seal had on its back. Molding a flash of chakra, orange lines once again ignited into a cluster of symbols and characters. Focusing the energy into the palm of his hand, Naruto pulsed the stream into his array, the kunai popping back into existence. Catching the handle mid-fall, he placed the kunai back in his pouch, his experiment a success.

The blond unfurled a second scroll, bamboo cylinders tumbling off the ends and revealing an identical three-circle design.

"Guess it's time for the left," Naruto said to himself, pushing chakra into the bottom right circle. The low hum gave way to an increasingly piercing screech as the seal protested the invasion. Eyes narrow, hand hot, and sweat beading down his forehead, Naruto commenced the ritual.

* * *

Disabling the barrier, Naruto rerolled the scroll and began to gather his materials.

"Good," Shikamaru said, catching a glimpse of the still-intact Naruto. "Taking you to the hospital would have been troublesome."

Grabbing a set of black bandages from his crimson satchel, the blond set about wrapping the cloth back up his arms.

"You know you could achieve the same effect with a long-sleeved shirt, right Naru?" Shikamaru interjected, back resting on the door frame, hands in his pockets.

"Nowhere near as badass, Shika," the blond replied, tucking the loose end back into the overlapping folds of the dressings, adding a pin to keep it in place.

The Nara shrugged in response.

"Guess anything's an improvement over your old orange jacket," he quipped.

Naruto gave a grunt as his only response, mouth preoccupied with holding a set of hair pins.

"Well, seeing as you're finished with this little project, I take it we can finally make our way to Yakinaku Q?"

"Yakinaku Q?" Naruto questioned, a hint of exasperation evident in his voice. "What happened to meeting Chouji and Kiba at Training Field 7?"

"Naruto, it's our first day off in two weeks," the Nara chastised. "Do you really want to spend it training?"

"I've been _dying_ to get this working over the last two months," the blond shot back. "Can you blame me for wanting to try my new seal array out?"

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, using the pressure to ward off an oncoming headache.

"You won't settle for a game of shogi instead?" the Nara heir propositioned.

"On my day off?" Naruto bit back.

"Cloud-watching?"

"Do it after every spar."

"Anything that does not involved a potential trip to emergency room?"

"Especially not today."

Shikamaru grunted, pushing through the hideout door.

"Whatever. Let's just get to Yakinaku Q before this situation gets any more troublesome," the Nara relented. "I'm sure you can easily find a way to entice Kiba into a spar."

"Oh, come on! Stop pouting, Shika!" Naruto exclaimed, slapping his friend across the back. "I'll make it up to you. You can come watch me get my ass kicked by Lee again tomorrow night."

"I have the sneaking suspicion you enjoy getting your ass kicked more than I do watching it." Shikamaru replied, not at all enticed by the blond's proposal.

"Well, what IS it you enjoy?"

"Mediocrity."

"Jeez, how are you both the smartest and the most boring person I know?"

"Causation."

Grabbing his navy blue jacket, Naruto pulled the sleeves over his bandaged arms before zipping the front up and wrapping the crimson-colored scarf around his face.

"You know what smartass?" he questioned, voice muffled by the scarf. "I hope you're cursed to have a smoldering firebrand of wife."

"Naruto, where do you even-"

"-So hot, she'd drive your crazier than Kiba-"

"-an unnecessary comparison-"

"-You'd blush harder than Hinata and get more tongue-tied than Shino-"

"-Damnit Naruto- "

"-More love struck than Sakura and Ino combined!"

The Nara hung his head in exhaustion, unable to stop the blond from flooding their conversation with the characteristics of his supposed future spouse. Assuming he even wanted to get married. You couldn't help who you loved, but you could help who chained you. Just make it to chuunin, get a job at the academy, marry a civilian girl, and die at 60. A perfectly unremarkable life. Tranquil and mediocre. Serene, like a herd of clouds wandering aimless through the sky. But no matter where he turned, life was offering him anything but. Like he was being forced into greatness.

* * *

_The Eighth Gate_ was far from the most popular bar in Konoha. Instead of busty, flirty barmaids, it was run by a middle-aged, greying civilian with an above-average knowledge of shinobi history, and an endearing, fan-like obsession with the village's sworn protectors. In place of obnoxious, flashing neon lights, the premises were lit by the dim orange glow of old incandescent light bulbs. And that suited the three just fine. When she was with her friends, Anko preferred not to get hit on by every man with two legs and horny enough to forget the shame that came with bedding the Snake Sannin's old apprentice. Iruka, a rare drinker, preferred the quietude of the homey dive-bar, and would take this to those new singles bars opening up around his neighborhood.

As for Ebisu…

Very few knew it, but the man was actually a journeyman sommelier. It fit his uptight, snooty personality, but one drink down, and the man would ramble to anyone who would listen about existentialism as a key belief system in the development of Konoha's shinobi code.

Though an educator, Iruka found himself more attracted to classical literature than to politics and philosophy. A trait he had in common with the violet-haired minx on his right.

"Drink up boys!" Anko called out, grabbing a bottle of tequila from behind the bar and pouring out a shot into three separate glasses. "Looks like we're gonna be back in the field in a matter of days!"

"A-Anko!" the bandana-clad tokujo protested. "You can't just grab a bottle of liquor from behind the bar! Don't you know bar etiquette?"

"Relax, tight-ass," Anko teased. "Haruhiko and I go way back, ain't that right Haru?"

Popping his head out of the kitchen, a plump, grey-haired individual emerged, carrying a small tray of edamame and yakitori for his customers.

"Anko-chan and I go way back, Ebisu-san," he declared, placing both trays in front of the precocious kunoichi. "There's no one I'd trust more to pay their tab."

"Important lesson I learned when I used to work infiltration," Anko lectured. "ALWAYS pay your bartenders. And make sure you tip VERY well."

Passing a glass to each of her companions, Anko gave a countdown before the three drank the shots down, Ebisu and Iruka gasping as the spirits burned their way down their stomachs.

"Man, you guys are such ninnies!" she jabbed, pouring out another round of shots for the three.

"I much prefer wine, Anko." Ebisu responded, nonetheless taking the offered shot from her outstretched hand.

"Well, I'm paying so… shut it, Ebisu!"

Throwing her drink back, Anko began to pick at the appetizers in front of her.

"So, real talk, guys," she began, grabbing stick of yakitori and pulling a piece of meat off with her teeth. "It's been two months, and all of a sudden, some of the pre-genin are going to start getting D to C-rank missions.

"Normally, I'd be happy with the extra cash flow, but… this feels too fast."

Peering down at his glass, Ebisu sighed before downing his own shot of tequila.

"To be honest with you two, I felt the same way," he stated. "I protested to Lord Third several times with my concerns, but he would wave me off, asking me to have faith in the cadets."

Ebisu reached over and grabbed the bottle from in front of Anko, pouring himself another shot.

"The Hokage has seemed sharper as of late," Ebisu reported. "His staff has been saying that he stays late into the morning almost every other evening. And if he does end up leaving, it is usually to go train."

"The Third has begun training again?" Iruka questioned.

"I heard something like that too," Anko added. "Not that the Hokage training, in and of itself, is strange. After all, he is supposed to be the protector of the village."

Taking the bottle back from Ebisu, Anko poured out another shot for herself before taking a pod of edamame from the bowl.

"But he's not training just to keep pace. He's actually working to get stronger."

"What makes you say that?" Iruka asked. "Have you seen him training?"

"Not directly no, but I've seen the aftermath."

Taking her third shot, she pushed the bottle back toward Iruka.

"Down in Training Ground Forty-Four, you'll see small swaths of trees entirely uprooted, boulders split in half and spots of earth scorched black.

"There aren't many shinobi capable of the that level of destruction here in the village, and even fewer who train in the Forest of Death.

Iruka picked up one of the sticks of yakitori and placed it on his plate.

"Earth, Fire and Wind attacks…" Iruka listed off. "Yeah, that does sound like the God of Shinobi himself.

"What do you think has him training again?"

"Probably whatever it is that has him rushing a whole class full of pre-ninja to the rank of genin." Anko retorted, picking off another piece of chicken.

Silence fell upon the group, Iruka playing with his shot glass before indulging in his second shot.

"Do YOU think they're ready?" Iruka heard Anko ask him, her eyes fixed on her own empty shot glass.

"It's funny. You're brash, head-strong, impulsive, but I never would have thought you'd show so much restraint when it came to your kids."

Anko peered at Iruka from the corners of her eyes, barely turning her head to look at him.

"You don't really think much of me as a squad-leader, do you?" she replied. "You wouldn't be in the minority."

"Sorry, that came out wrong," Iruka apologized. "I know you're capable of giving a damn. I just didn't think you'd actually worry."

"Of course I worry about them, Iruka!" She contested hotly. "I'm not just trying to turn them into little versions of me. Hell, I think I'm trying to do everything I can to push them away from that possibility.

"Shino and Kiba are already centered on their own: they come from clans with strong familial ties. But Hinata…" Anko trailed off before taking another swig from her beer.

"Hinata's something else. You'd figure a girl with nerves that frayed would be a hot mess of insecurity.

"But the guys, especially Naruto and Kiba… they've helped her stay pretty intact. Sure, she's anxious, but if you'd stuffed me in a house with a bunch of self-important pricks for family members for a good 12 years, I'd probably a lot more fucked up than she is."

"I thought we'd reached that limit with you already, Anko," Ebisu unleashed, his prissy exterior stripped away by several ounces of alcohol.

Anko, caught off guard, turned Ebisu's way and blinked twice. A cackle erupted from her stomach, causing the bandana-wearing Tokujo to swallow hard.

"God, you're hilarious when you're drunk!" She replied, slapping Ebisu across the back.

That would sting for a while.

"You know what's even funnier Ebisu?" Anko asked, voice growing heavy, as she was a breath away from the head instructor.

Whipping out a kunai from her pouch, Anko twirled the projectile on her finger before grabbing the handle and slamming the point into the stool, right between Ebisu's spread thighs.

"You without a dick!" She cheered, yanking her arm back and moving to strike again.

Ebisu, jaw wide with terror, rolled back off of his stool. Hitting the ground with a thud, the man stumbled as he attempted to escape the snake mistress's relentless attacks. Reaching the door, their leader slammed the door on her face, leaving the group to just Anko and Iruka.

Finding her way back to her seat, the violet-haired vixen plopped down onto her stool, elbows crashing down onto the bar top.

"I forgot there's an asshole buried deeper inside his foppish behavior," Anko muttered, finishing her current beer bottle.

"Don't let that stop you," Iruka advised, reaching over the bar and grabbing a beer for himself and Anko. "I was actually interested in hearing what you had to say."

"Or are you just looking for some vulnerability from poor, miserable Anko?" she teased.

"Can't it be both?" Iruka teased back, the mellow haze of the alcohol emboldening him.

"My, my. look at you Iruka-chan. Two years away has certainly made you bolder."

"Maybe just a tad," he returned. "Melting your own arms off kind of changes your perspective on things."

"Or taking on your own team," she finished.

"So, what made you decide to?" he inquired, popping the top off of his bottle and taking a sip.

"Do you want me to be honest?" she asked.

"I thought that was the only thing you knew how to be."

"You'd be surprised," she responded, taking a sip of her own.

"In a round-about sort of way, I wanted to prove that I could do it better than him," she began. "That I didn't have to be a legendary jounin just to raise a group of kids right.

"And it looks like I'm actually doing something right for once: Hinata's stutter is basically gone, and she's not afraid to go for the throat during a spar anymore.

"Shino's still about as quiet as a graveyard, but you can tell he's at ease with the group. You should see the way he messes with Kiba. That kid deadpans the sharpest of jokes.

"And then there's the dog-boy himself. Despite the fact he can't stop looking at my chest for more than 5 seconds, he's dedicated when it comes to training.

"I don't think I've done anything special to bring it out of these kids, but I'm glad we're just _comfortable _together. For me, that means something."

Iruka found himself lost in the way she gazed off in memory: how her nose sloped ever so slightly and turned up at it's end; how she would tuck an errant, violet bang behind her ear whenever she wanted to distract from the nervousness of expressing herself freely; or the split second her hazel eyes would shy away and refocus whenever she felt vulnerable with someone.

Seeing her lit by the orange haze of the bar's dim light made him remember something he'd known when he'd first met her all those years ago.

She was truly beautiful.

No matter what anyone thought about it or said about her.

She was beautiful.

She looked back at him, and her soft, warm smile, caused his heart to tickle nervously, ashamed he was caught sharing her private moment. But she didn't reproach him. She just rested her chin upon her palm, and stared back at him, eye lids heavy and comfortable.

He'd been amazed by what had changed in two years, but if the last two months had taught him anything, it was that, even after you've been through so much, the person you are, at the depths of your being, doesn't have to change all that much. You spend years cycling through different phases, trying to find your true self, and don't acknowledge that they are all just different parts of you you're trying on for size, finding the best fit for who you are and who you really want to be.

How you really want to be.

Caught in her tender, easy gaze, he wondered how much _this_ had changed. How much she'd thought about him over the time he was gone. If she'd ever imagined his face over the ones of the lovers she'd taken over the intervening years. Had she ever whispered his name when she was alone, a nervous hope that he might be quick to respond to the millisecond moment she'd open her heart?

Would he ever stop being too close for comfort?

Swallowing, he found himself pushing down the flood of insecurities that her smile had brought racing to the forefront.

_Regret isn't a flattering look on anyone._

He'd rather not dwell on the past right now. The part he was there for and the part for which he wasn't.

Maybe it was time to move on.

Iruka raised his bottle to hers, gesturing his agreement to her sentiments.

"To our teams then, Anko."

"Race you to the bottom!" she challenged, throwing her bottle back and drinking the entire thing down in a single tilt.

Finishing, he saw a genuine grin, pearly white and without reservation, flashing back at him in victory. Deep down, he knew. This smile was only meant for him.

He hated himself when she did that.

It's what made her so hard to forget.

* * *

The foursome walked out of Yakinaku Q, the rambunctious duo of the quartet leading their pack, Chouji and Shikamaru trailing behind.

"I'm telling you, Naru-chan, asking to train with Lee and Gai-sensei on the weekends has really made a difference!" Kiba explained, enthusiasm permeating his voice.

"I still can't believe you actually went and asked bushy-brows if you could train with them."

"And what, just let you and Sasuke keep leaving me in the dust?" the dog-user retorted, Akamaru yapping in agreement.

"Fuck that. If I want to beat you two, why not go directly to the guy who can do it?"

"Loving that loyalty, dog-breath." Naruto retorted.

"How's that famous saying go, Naru?" Kiba inquired. "It's nothing personal. It's purely business."

"Yeah, yeah traitor," the blond replied. "Whatever helps you sleep night."

"Easy to sleep at night knowing I'm a half-step faster than Sasuke, and about as strong as Chouji."

"Hasn't helped you beat either of us in the last two months."

"Must be hard to gauge your progress when you've only sparred Sasuke once in the last two months," the Inuzuka barbed. "What's wrong? Duck-butt's doujutsu got you scared?"

"Eat shit, flea-bait. You have clan techniques the bastard can't copy. My secrets won't be an open book for him to leisurely plagiarize from."

Kiba shrugged.

"Never took you for a coward, Naru-chan. You can't avoid the guy forever."

"And I don't plan to. It took me a while, but I think finally managed to solve to my Sharingan problem."

That stopped Kiba in his tracks.

"What do you mean by 'solve my Sharingan problem?' Are you gonna rip Sasuke's eyes out?"

"Holy shit, what? NO Kiba, I'm not gonna rip my own teammates eyes out!"

"Damn, really? You'd be doing me a real solid there, Nar. Taking out my biggest competition for Rookie of the year."

"Maiming the last Uchiha is definitely what my reputation needs right now. Not to mention a trip to Morino over at T&I."

Chouji and Shikamaru had caught up to their companions by this point, the Nara with his hands tucked behind his heads, Chouji with an arm halfway down a near empty bag of chips.

"Hey, Shika," Kiba called out, "Do you know anything about this 'Sharingan' solution Naru-chan here's been talking about?"

The Nara shrugged his shoulder.

"If it has anything to do with the seal from earlier, then no, I have no clue."

"Is that the thing you've been working on with Hinata?" Kiba asked. "Here I thought you were just trying to get close enough to ask her on a date."

Never let it be said that Naruto couldn't be left speechless.

Because at Kiba's last comment, the blond started to sputter, before he felt his cheeks start to burn.

"W-W-What are you t-talking about Kiba?" Naruto vomited. "H-Hime-chan and me on date? Get real."

"Oh come on, Na-Ru-To," his rival teased. "The way your face gets pink every time she waves 'hi.' Or the way you keep look for excuses just to stay behind with her. Even a blind man can see you have the biggest crush on her!"

Exasperated, Naruto punched Kiba in the arm, trying to distract from blush creeping to his face. Akamaru yapped at the blond, short teeth sinking into Naruto's ankle as he came to his friend's defense.

"What was that for, asshole?" Kiba shouted.

Akamaru growled as he tussled with Naruto, the duo rolling on the ground as a small crowd of civilians parted around the group of cadets.

"You need to quit making shit up, dog-breath!" the blond called out, trying to get a hold of scrappy canine.

"Kiba's right you know," Chouji cut in. "I mean, if Ino's been saying it..."

Grabbing a hold of Akamaru's scruff, Naruto raised the puppy into the air as the dog tried swiping his claws at the offending appendage.

"You're gonna believe the village gossip over me, and old friend? You wound me, Chouji."

"To be fair to Ino," Shikamaru commented, "She may be a gossip but she's usually right on the money."

"Damnit, you too Shika?"

"Ha! Take that, blondie!" Kiba taunted, a maniacal grin spreading across his face as he raised a hand to either side of his mouth, improvising a megaphone.

"Hina and Naru sitting in a tree-" the dog-nin chanted out.

"-Kiba-"

Also never let it be said that Shikamaru didn't indulge in some light teasing on occasion. Sensing a chance for retribution, the usually sedate Nara joined in on the chanting.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Naruto's face matched the tone of his satchel. Shocked, he dropped the nin-ken, who made his way over to partner and joined the duo with howls of his own.

"Come on guys!" the blond begged, anger and desperation thick in his voice. "Quit acting like children!"

Deciding he wanted in on the fun, Chouji pocketed his bag of chips and completed their makeshift barbershop quartet.

"FIRST COMES LOVE- "

"-We're really gonna do this on a crowded street?"

"-THEN COMES MARRIAGE- "

"-You guys are literally the world's worst friends- "

"-THEN COMES BABY IN THE BABY CARRIAGE-"

"-HEY, I KNOW, HOW ABOUT I DON'T TELL YOU HOW TO SHUT DOWN THE SHARINGAN!"

Kiba immediately clamped his hand over his friends' mouths, nudging Akamaru to signal a ceasefire.

"Let's not get hasty here, Nar," he said, unwrapping his arms from around his friends' heads.

"I'm sure we can work something out."

"Yeah, how about I don't hear another Hinata-Naruto joke for the next year!" the blond shrieked.

"Awww! What, can't take a little teasing?"

"I'm serious Kiba! What if Hinata heard you?"

"And what would it matter if she did? Hm, Naru-chan?"

Tongue-tied, Naruto grit his teeth and grunted in response. Various pairs of eyes had lingered on the group's growing ruckus, putting the blond at center stage of the wrong kind of attention. Hushed whispers rippled through the crowd, shopkeepers turning toward patrons and passerby's, distaste and disapproval evident through deep frowns and cold, distant eyes.

Kiba cursed. He'd forgotten Hinata wasn't with them. With the heirs around, it was rare for the citizenry to display their hostility so openly, but they didn't dare look at them wrong when the Hyuuga was around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto's eyebrow begin to twitch while Akamaru jumped to his defense, growling at the small crowd that had begun to surround them.

"It's bad enough they let you live," an older man shouted in throaty rasp. Kiba turned his head in the direction of the voice, noticing a man at least a foot taller than Naruto, shambling toward the blond, leaning on a single crutch. His right leg terminated prematurely, gone from the knee down, and the grain of his five o'clock shadow did little to cover three prominent scars clawed down his left cheek. He wore the garb typical of the villages more advanced shinobi: a worn green flak jacket covered a fat, protruding belly, and the leaf's hitai-ate held a crop of black hair from obscuring his face, allowing his heated, hateful gaze to fixate on Naruto.

Naruto didn't flinch, placing his hands on his hips and giving the newcomer a smirk.

"Take a number old man, everyone's got a bone to pick with Uzumaki Naruto."

"How can you sit there smiling like that?" the grizzled old man continued as he came face-to-face with the blond. The scent of alcohol stung Naruto's nostrils as the mutilated shinobi opened his mouth to continue his diatribe.

"That's how I know you're a demon," he ground out. "Even after everything you've done, you laugh like the thought of it doesn't bother you."

"Hey old man, I'm sorry if I trashed your fruit display or vandalized your shop when I was younger," Naruto quickly offered, trying his best to de-escalate the situation. "I wasn't exactly a model of good behavior a few years back."

Naruto felt his jaw rocked as fist smashed into the side of his face, body crashing into a small dango stand.

"Don't you dare mock my pain," the veteran growled. "You took everything from me that night. You took everything from so many of us."

"I think you've had too much to drink old man," Kiba cut in, trying to shield his friend from the drunkard's onslaught.

Today was the first time that it hadn't been enough to avert disaster.

The older shinobi wound his right fist back, only to be knocked off balance as Akamaru ripped the crutch out from under him.

Akamaru made his way to claw at the man's face, but was snatched and tossed aside like a rag doll.

"Akamaru!" Kiba cried before he felt the wind knocked out of him.

"Why is no one helping them!" Chouji turned to his best friend, exasperated. "Everyone's just watching! Or backing off into their shops!"

Shikamaru's eyes circled the crowd, searching for some kind of answer. It was written all over their faces, even now: the scorn, the neglect, the revulsion, the haunted far-off look of trauma. And the more ambivalent looks, semi-sympathetic, cowered in the back, no intention of helping.

Seeing no other option, the Nara shot his shadow after the downed man, hoping to buy his friends time to escape.

"Chouji, grab him!" he commanded.

Without hesitation, the portly brunet poured chakra into his arms and launched them at the shinobi. But these were cadets up against chuunin-level nin. With just a flash of his chakra, Shikamaru's binding was overpowered, as the veteran grabbed the Akimichi's approaching arms and tossed him at the disoriented Nara.

"It doesn't surprise me to see a dog make nice with a _fox_, but I would have thought better of your boys' families."

And like that, Shikamaru felt the revelation ignite the disconnected synapses in his brain, burning through his brain as the pieces came together.

_Naruto._

The misfortune of being born the same night as their history's bloodiest calamity, a constant reminder to everyone of what they'd lost on that fateful night.

_The Fox._

It wasn't misfortune. Misfortune doesn't breed hate this deep. Hate this personal.

_Naruto and the Fox._

Nausea uncurled itself from his stomach as a wave of malignant, suffocating dread exploded out and blanketed their street.

Black bandages shot out from the rubble, squeezing the drunkard and yanking him toward the erect form of Naruto.

The sunny innocence of his cheerful cobalt eyes had vanished.

Buried beneath the malevolence of slit red irises.

"What do you mean old man?" Naruto growled.

Flooding his body with chakra, he found himself unable to break the bindings ensnaring him. He was impotent in the face of this power. Like last time. Like all those years ago.

Gaze narrowed and steely, the veteran spat into the blond's face.

"Just fucking do it!" He screamed, spit smacking against Naruto's face, his throat raw.

"Like you did to Hanako and Asumi!"

Naruto felt his throat quiver, white vapor escaping his lips and dissipating in the cold Konohan winter. He looked down, breath hitching as he saw tears stream from the man's burning glare.

"I'm not afraid anymore!"

"What the FUCK are you talking about?" Naruto screamed back, anger boiling at the pit of his stomach.

"This entire goddamn village has treated me like garbage since day one, and I'll be damned if I'm going to be in the dark about it anymore!

"What the fuck did I do?" the blond screeched.

A foot planted itself in Naruto's midsection, launching him back toward Kiba's unconscious body. Like a switch, he felt the anger evaporate, melancholy flooding its place.

The grey-haired ANBU had his fists gripped onto the older shinobi's flak jacket, taking the kneeling figure and lifting him into the air. In a flash, the ANBU had knife-handed the back of the man's neck, leaving him unconscious. His hands flashed through the signs of the _Shushin no jutsu_, when he heard a yelp come from behind.

"You-you can't just take him!" Naruto cried. Staggering, snow crunched underfoot as he limped over to Kakashi.

"I'm this close ANBU-san!"

Kakashi turned to face the wounded blond, heart clenching as he saw the shadow of his sensei stare back up at him with haunted, pleading eyes.

"I don't care if he is a drunk asshole. I have to know!"

Kneeling, Kakashi stared through his mask at his sensei's son. Whatever his past failures, this was the monument to all his sins: neglecting his master's most precious legacy.

"My friends, with all their love… they can't smother this pain.

"Kiba, Hinata, Chouji, Shikamaru… they've been there almost every day, shielding me from the worst this village has ever wanted to subject me to. But they can't guide me. They can't protect me from my nightmares. Or tell me what to do when I start falling in love.

"All I had was Iruka, who was taken from me for the two years, and Hokage-jiji, who is too busy to be there every time I need him.

"I've been raised by the journal of a dead ancestor and the textbook of a distant relative!

"I have to know. I have to know why."

Anguish flooded his eyes, and Kakashi placed a hand on the young jinchuuriki's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he whispered.

Turning around, the grey-haired cyclops placed a hand on the fallen shinobi before the two vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Collapsing exhausted, Naruto wailed, not caring who saw him come undone. Curled in the snow, the tears stung his cheeks as the winter wind froze them in place.

Chouji, the least injured of the other three, hobbled over to the blond as the military police began to flood the street, placing barriers and trafficking people around the rubble.

"Come on Naruto," he whispered, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Let's get you home."

The blond brushed off his friend's gesture, unable to bring his eyes to look at him.

"Chouji…" he trailed off.

"I don't want anything right now.

"I just want to sit here."

Chouji attempted to place his hands on Naruto again, only for the blond to shove him back.

"Just leave me alone, Chouji!" he screamed, startling the portly cadet and causing him to stagger back.

The ruckus caused the dog-nin to stir as a group of medic-nin arrived to collect him, stretcher at the ready. Eyes cracking open, the Inuzuka watched as the medics kneeled as they lowered the gurney down to his level.

"Back off," the teen grumbled, feeling his arms ache in protest as he attempted to push away the other man's arm. A sharp burn shot down the length of Kiba's arm, finding the appendage weakly obeying his commands. Peering down, he noticed the finger tips of his right arm reaching farther than the ones on his left.

He felt two sets of hands latch onto the upper and lower parts of his right arm. Kiba felt the burning return as they bent the forearm up, his extremity forming a ninety-degree angle while at his side.

The medics began to turn the arm outward, applying pressure to the should and causing his entire arm to ignite in electrical shocks. Kiba grit his teeth as the two men continued to twist the arm. His eyes stung, and it was struggle not to squirm in place. With a pop, the shoulder slid back into place, eliciting a cry from the boisterous cadet.

"GODDAMNIT!"

Using his good arm, Kiba pushed himself up off the snowy pathway, watching as his blond rival made his way past a police barricade, head low and shoulders hunched.

"Naruto, where the fuck-" Kiba shouted.

"-Kiba," Shikamaru grunted, leaning against Chouji as he limped over to their comrade. "Leave him be."

Kiba looked back toward the barricades, Naruto's silhouette vanished among the sea of faceless passerbys.

The Inuzuka spat a wad of blood out of the side of his mouth.

"We got our fucking asses handed to us," he remarked, continuing to stare off into the crowd, hoping to catch a hint of their friend. "Four-on-one."

"That's the gulf between us and a chuunin," the Nara replied. "So many genin think it comes down to having the flashiest ability or the biggest attack, but all you need are a few good sneaky tactics to move in for the kill."

"Dude was drunk and missing half of a goddamn leg, and he tossed us," the Inuzuka continued.

"Just some no-name clown from our own village."

The crowds split around the barriers, a stream of people flowing ceaselessly and without care, the short skirmish seemingly forgotten. Behind them, a ballet of construction workers set about repairing the damage, the three cadets left completely to themselves, without a second thought spared to them. Shop lights igniting as the winter evening dawned early, the three merged into the crowd, not a word spoken amongst them as they each headed home.

* * *

Snow continued to flake down from the sky, crunching under foot as the duo made their way past quiet apartment towers and quaint, sleepy houses.

Anko latched herself onto a lamppost, arm-extended as she swung around the black metal pole. Breeze blowing the bangs out of her face, she turned her face skyward and open her mouth, tufts of white gently landing on her outstretched tongue.

A cold mass smashed her head on, the beanie atop her damp from the pieces of snowball that had broken off mid-flight and lodge themselves on her head-covering.

Looking back, she watched as a guilty Iruka stood with both of his hands stuffed inside of his pockets, chin-tilted up as his eyes fixed upon the bright white of the ascending moon, a small parting in the clouds leaving the body unobscured.

Rolling, Anko scooped up a batch of newly fallen snow and used her chakra to quickly condense the mass into ball. She sprung up, curving the sphere into Iruka's nose, her blow striking true and sending the younger shinobi tumbling back. His mouth fixed itself into a snarl as he rolled backward, crunching a blob of snow into his fist before launching it at the oncoming kunoichi.

Anko crooked her head right, letting the misshapen missile fly past her as she buried another snowball into the brunet's nose. Hoisting herself on his shoulder, the snake mistress flipped behind the scar-faced shinobi's back, pushing him face first into a snow bank.

Leaping onto the downed ninja's back, Anko grasped either sized of Iruka's head and began smothering it into the powder beneath them. Suddenly, Anko found herself sinking into the mound of snow beneath her, the warm body of her companion no longer there.

She caught a snowball to the back of her head, chunks of ice sliding down the neck of her peacoat and leaving a trail of cold water as it trickled down her back. She shivered in response, but ignored the cool sting making its way down her body to focus on the telltale signs of the approaching Umino.

Swinging to her right, she found his hand outstretched, ready to rub the clutched snowball into the violet-haired kunoichi's face.

She launched a set of snakes from the inside of her sleeves, wrapping them around his ankles and pulling her arms back. As Iruka fell flat on his back, Anko leapt onto his abdomen, using her knees to pin his arms to his sides and prevent him from using the replacement technique again.

Dipping both arms down, she began to pelt the teacher with a barrage of poorly packed snow balls, her grin widening as she grew more and more enthralled with the onslaught.

Iruka squirmed, but couldn't escape the squeeze the older woman had trapped him with. Out of options, using what little movement his hands were able to perform, he grabbed a piece of the snake mistress' rear between his thumb and forefinger and proceeded to pinch her butt.

That got her to leap up.

She was surprised.

Iruka was never that forward.

But that split second was all he needed. Iruka freed himself from her grasp and rolled back, putting distance between himself and the short-haired vixen.

Before he could gather his bearings, Anko was back on him, machine-gunning a hail of snowballs into the poor tokujo's face.

With his vision obscured, the snake mistress moved in for the kill, using a snake to bind the male shinobi's legs while she used her chakra to coalesce a watermelon-sized snowball into shape. Standing over, she raised the orb over her head, silently promising that its next destination was about to be his face.

Iruka shook his head violently, though a smile was still plastered on his face, his cheeks flushed from all of the alcohol they'd imbided only an hour earlier. Shooting his hip out, Anko tripped over the male shinobi's body, dropping the large ball of snow right onto Iruka's face and drenching him with bits of cold, wet ice.

A laugh erupted from Anko as she tumbled into the snow next to him, rolling over and wrapping her arm around his torso. Defeated, Iruka let his head fall back into the snow, his own beanie soaking up bits and piece of the newly crushed snow.

"Alright," Iruka breathed out, face-up and looking off into the star-lit sky. "You win this one."

"What are you talking about Iruka-chan?" she asked, mock shock filling her voice.

"I win ALL of them," she argued, taking a handful of snow and lightly dumping it on the brunet's face.

Shaking the clumps from he his face, Iruka repositioned himself and slipped his arm underneath her, cradling the violet-haired beauty. She crooked her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes, the padding of his jacket acting as a makeshift pillow.

"Are you okay with this?" Iruka whispered.

A long, tired exhale left her mouth as he felt her head become heavier.

"With this?"

She let the question linger, the buzz of the lampposts filling the pregnant pause she'd left hanging while she looked for an answer.

"Yeah. With this."

She pulled him closer, laying her legs across his own.

"What are you-" he began before she cut him off.

"My tights are getting wet, and I just wanna lay here for a bit."

"I didn't know wine made you so cuddly, Anko-chan."

"That one's just between you and me."

Iruka rested his chin on the top of her head, the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle filling his nostrils.

There it was.

That full, strong thump of his heart beating against his chest.

Seven years couldn't erase the tickle she'd first felt when they'd lain out in the meadow atop the Hokage monument, the scent of the field's tiger lilies carried by the summer breeze. She remembered the way he picked a white one and slipped the stem behind her ear. Her hazel eyes had looked into his chocolate ones while he riddled her with the awkward compliments only a sixteen-year old could possibly find romantic.

_The moon and the stars wouldn't be so pretty if they didn't have you to compliment._

He was such a dork back then.

_Will you back soon?_

_Sensei has a pretty big test planned for me. _

_But you know me! It shouldn't take me too long, Iruka-chan!_

Her hand made its way up to the seal tattooed onto her neck.

She hated that memory.

She hated what she'd let happen to her.

She hated what she'd done to _him._

She picked herself up from the damp, cold ground, pushing those bittersweet sentiments back to the places of her mind she rarely visited. Mustering her usual mischievous smile, she turned back to Iruka.

"Come on, Iruka-chan!" she whined. "It's your job to make sure a lady gets home safe."

The brunet rolled his eyes.

"Oh? Since when did you behave like a lady, Anko?"

"That's Anko-SAMA to you, mister!"

"Fine, fine, Anko-sama. What can this lowly servant do for you?"

Running, she leapt onto the brunet's back and wrapper her legs around his waist.

"We can start off with you being my personal steed!" she yelled, using her heels to lightly tap his abdomen.

"Wait!"

"What is it, my noble steed?" she cooed. "My show starts in an hour, and I have to see whether Elliot managed to save his sister or not!"

Iruka reached his hand over the short fence of a neighboring garden, snapping _something_ off of a bush branch and bringing it over to her.

His hands cupped, he revealed to her the indigo petals of a freshly bloomed cinquefoil. At the base of each leaflet blossomed the image of white flame, a single thin yellow tendril running down its middle. The petals themselves were large, each one has long as a finger.

"I didn't think I'd see these growing here in Konoha," he told her, holding his hand out for her.

"What is it?"

"I saw it brought in by a merchant's caravan once. The florist told me they came from a far off land in the west. An Algerian iris, he called it. It was the dead of winter, and I'd never seen something so beautiful, so I bought one and cared for it for several months.

"My teammate Shinta was enamored with it. He would come by my bunk just to appreciate it. He'd even water it if I was gone for more than a few days.

"He deserved better than what happened to him. Honestly, I'd be dead if it weren't for him.

"So I planted it not too far from him. Hopefully, it survived the summer and spread a few seeds around his memorial. I think he would have liked that.

"He used to tell me it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen."

Iruka tucked the stem between the fold of her ear, the vibrant indigo of the petals contrasting the deep violet hue of her hair.

"Is it?" she asked him, adjusting the flower so it wouldn't fall loose.

Iruka shook his head in the negative.

"How about you take a guess?" he asked her, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

She knew she was beautiful.

But he made her feel precious.

And she was the last person who deserved to feel that.

She gave his back to him, unwilling to let his eyes reignite the memories of a life that could have been. She paced ahead, pushing through the cold winter air in route to her apartment. The one refuge she had from pieces of a past that wouldn't stop haunting her.

* * *

Having done a stint in T&I prior to becoming an instructor, Anko had been able to afford a small flat in a then-new ten-story tower. More spartan than cozy, it suited her needs to a tee. The door entrance was furnished with stainless steel railing, contrasting with the dark, lacquered wood of the condo door.

They'd walked in silence, her several paces ahead of him. When he tried to catch up, she quickened her footsteps. When he slowed down, she did as well. She wouldn't let him change the distance.

Keys in hand, she finally turned to face him, arms-length from one another.

"Anko- "

"-Iruka," she interrupted.

They both grew silent.

Their throats thick.

Stuck endlessly waltzing around one another.

"As much as we want it, we can't just pick back up from some point in the past."

He remained silent.

"I can't be the Anko from before it happened."

He'd stopped coming here years ago. Stopped asking for more from her. Stopped asking her for something she didn't want to give.

The last time was after he passed the instructor's exam. Ebisu and Mizuki had gotten him absolutely trashed, and in his drunken stupor, he'd decided that the best thing to do that night was to show up at her front door.

Right as she was bringing a jounin home.

He'd tried picking a fight with him, if you could even call it that. Iruka had been blown off his feet, pounded into the floor mercilessly.

But she'd rescued him then. And kicked the both of them out.

Underneath this flickering light, so many years ago, he'd promised he'd never let her see him make a fool of himself again. At the very least to spare his own pride.

But here he was again. 4 years later. Just as ready to be her fool as he had been back then.

"You know what the rule is if you want to cross this threshold," she muttered, voice raspy and tongue becoming drier.

"I know."

"And you know why you can't come in, then."

"I do."

"Then why are you here?"

She was curt, the flirtacious tone gone.

"I didn't want the night to end."

She shook her head, finding his eyes looking for hers.

"I can't give you what you want, Iruka," she said.

"You're the only one who can," he responded, deciding to indulge his self-destructiveness.

"That's not fair, and you know it."

"How do you even know what I want?"

She wouldn't answer that.

Because she had wanted that too.

But not like this.

Not like the mess she'd become after Orochimaru. Not like the mess he'd become when she left him.

It was hard not to feel guilty, even when the second wasn't her fault.

She fucking hated that. And that made her resent him.

"It's been years, Iruka," she continued. "You could have had a family. The family you always wanted."

"It wouldn't have been the family I wanted," he replied. "Not without you."

"Oh please, Iruka. We've been over this. Just get over me already."

"Then just tell me you don't love me."

"Why should I indulge you that?"

He was the one caught tongue-tied that time. Why did he want to hear that?

He definitely didn't.

He just wanted to know that she couldn't.

So who was worse?

Her for being the liar, or him for being the torturer.

He tortured the both of them.

He could have moved on.

At least then they could pretend they were half-happy.

"Indulge me because I love you."

He hadn't said it in years.

Oh, he'd been dying to. He'd just been smart enough not to.

Smart enough to realize that it reminded her of a time long gone.

Of a time they couldn't get back.

One they couldn't reset.

"Love me," she snorted. "Right. The loyal, upstanding Umino Iruka. In love with the disastrous, promiscuous Mitarashi Anko."

"Anko, stop. I forgive you-"

Her breath hitched.

Her eyes narrowed and she had to grit her teeth so that she didn't explode on him right there.

"-There's _NOTHING_ I need to be forgiven for, you stuck-up asshole."

"I'm sorry Anko, I-"

"-what you said proves to me that deep down, you're still the 16-year old Iruka, in love with the 17-year old Anko. Not who I am now.

"Because if you did, you would know there's nothing that needs forgiving."

She knew it to be true, but some times the truth felt to so half-hearted.

Her chest heaved.

He couldn't bear to look at her. To look at those hazel eyes he continued to hurt in his selfishness and delusion.

This is why he had stopped drinking. Though he knew he couldn't blame the alcohol.

This was him. It was all him.

He turned on his heel, making his way back toward the elevator. Behind him, he heard the jangle of keys being pulled out before a door slam resounded throughout the complex.

He may be a teacher, but he could really be a goddamn idiot.

He had the scars down his arms to prove it.

And the ones he'd left in her heart as well. The ones he wouldn't let heal. Even when he said he loved her.

Iruka cursed to himself, pushing the elevator button closed as he began the long, cold journey home. Alone.

He really was a goddamn idiot.

* * *

This chapter did not end up anywhere like I had expected it to. First off, it is only half of what is meant to be chapter 4. I just wanted to get this out to you guys to hold you over until I can get the second half complete.

Second, I had no plans to make it so angsty. But Snow Patrol, Coldplay, and Mana came on… and things just kinda happened. I did not expect this to have so much Anko/Iruka. But I like writing their interactions. You can have some fluff while you wait for everyone else to grow up.

Orochimaru did not rape Anko. Just thought that might need to said.

Expect a more complete A/N one I upload the second half. I don't have too much else to say.

Please leave a review.

Thanks guys!

'Til next time!


	5. The Calm Before Pt 2 - Caustic

Piece of advice: Don't trust my A/N's anymore. This two-parter just grew into three. But hey, finally came in under 10k words! Hurray for small victories.

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

They usually started late on Sunday mornings, given that they only took half of Saturday for themselves. But, as she had for the past several weeks, she had come out to their training ground early, developing her techniques in secret. That had been one of the first lessons Anko had taught her: information was deadly, and the less your opponent knew about you, the less likely they could take advantage of you. She was already an open book, so her only option was to keep her techniques, rather than her emotions, a secret.

The pitch black darkness of the Konohan dusk was no detriment to her. Once her kekkai genkai was active, day or night meant nothing for combat.

But then another one of Anko's lessons made its way through her head.

_Don't take your abilities for granted. You could find them useless someday._

It wasn't a threat she took lightly, particularly with the way her elders had been bandying about threats of sealing as of late. But between her and Hanabi, she would rather it be her to be confined with the caged-bird than her sister. Just another reason to keep her capabilities a secret: to prevent a tragedy from befalling another member of her family.

She stood in front of the lifeless mannequin, eyes marauding over every inch of the figure's body. For the past several weeks, she had had Kiba stand right next to it, as she memorized every tenketsu her friend had and mentally superimposed them upon the wooden doll.

If the time ever came when her Byakugan was impaired or rendered useless, she would have to be prepared for such an occasion.

Concentrating, she eased the flood of chakra streaming into her eyes, deactivating her Byakugan. Darkness once again engulfed her vision, moonlight ensconced behind a curtain of evening clouds. Her tenketsu flared briefly, pulsing a thin dome of energy outward. As the sphere expanded, her mind's eye hazily drew itself a map based on where the chakra terminated. The mannequin, the most distinct object on the field, was clear for her to visualize.

A jet of blue aura flared to life around her finger tips as chakra burst forth from her tenketsu. Bounding forward, her hands hammered away at the figurine, splinters flying as she pierced each imaginary point she had envisioned over the doll's body.

Picking up her right leg, Hinata chambered a kick and unleashed it upon the figure's head, shattering the wooden block and raining needles onto the field.

Searching for the next one, Hinata flashed her chakra dome outward.

She was perplexed to find a figure dashing onto the field from behind her. Focusing, she noted deep breaths and heavy footsteps.

He was short, and too loud to be an assailant. And her Anbu detail would have thwarted such a sloppy assassination attempt before they got within 100 meters of her.

However, it did her know good to get complacent. Pushing chakra into her eyes, the Byakugan roared back to life, the world igniting into sea of white streamers.

Immediately, she noted that the figure was made of two chakra circuits, a smaller one overlaying the chest of the large one.

That usually meant only one person.

He skidded to a halt a meter away from her, breath ragged and sweat pouring down his forehead. A single line of golden yellow began to peer over the horizon, announcing the breaking of dawn over the village.

"Kiba, why are you-" Hinata began, taking in the bruised face of her brown-haired, slit-eyed teammate.

"-We don't have time for me, Hinata," he cut off. "My sister will start looking for me any second now, and we need to get to Naruto before then."

"Is Naruto-kun okay?" she asked, stepping forward as Kiba turned and began to speed out from the training.

"I'll tell you on the way," Kiba shouted over his shoulder, each breath exacerbating the ache his stomach felt after the roiling he'd received the evening prior.

Giving one last chakra pulse, she felt the presence of another team join the company of her Anbu watchers. Rather than trail her, however, she felt the two groups in a standstill, neither moving of the three-man cells moving while Hinata and Kiba left the training ground.

Months ago, she would have been terrified at the loss of her Anbu detail. But the flashbacks and nightmares of her kidnapping had begun to ebb away, as she grew more confident in herself. And rather than apprehension, she felt liberated when out from under their presence. Her nerves tingled, exhilarated knowing that, for the first time in years, she was on her own. No one watched as her breathing grew heavier or as her heart began thumping loud her against her inner chest wall. No one would watch her as she made her way to Naruto, no one to disapprove of her affection for him, or to report back to the elders of every moment they spent together.

Whatever had caused her Anbu guard to stay behind, she was ready to be tested.

She sped up, matching her pace to Kiba's.

"Tell me, what's happened to Naruto-kun," she shouted as they raced through the village's deserted streets. As light began to fill the streets, shopkeepers opened their blinds and unlocked their doors in preparation for the early morning rush, unaware of the shadowy war brewing within the village's walls.

* * *

Orange hues infiltrated past the crevices of her ash grey blinds, their imbrication allowing the dawn's rays to violate the last few moments of a tender, ephemeral dream as the light beamed over her eyelids. Her lashes tried to flutter open, but the left one had been crusted shut. The end result of crying herself to sleep.

Why she did, she could hardly remember. But it wasn't like that was atypical.

The not remembering. Not the crying. Definitely not the crying.

And if you she couldn't remember, that probably meant that…

Her eyelids creaked open, exposing her naked hazel irises to the blitz of the morning sunlight.

Her head squeezed, pressure filling the space just underneath her forehead and flooding her nose with a suffocating ache.

Yep.

These were the signs of a hangover. Rolling out her bed, the floorboards thumped under her as she crashed onto her hands and knees.

Damn, she hadn't even gotten out of last nights clothes. Looks like she'd have to toss this set of tights though. They had a run going up the front of her thigh.

Or not. She dug the punk look.

Flexing her biceps, Anko tried pushing herself up off of the floor.

And was immediately greeted by the sight of a spinning bedroom.

Teetering on her heels, the violet-haired kunoichi felt her thighs go faint, knees buckling as she fell right back onto her bed, a loud crunch echoing off the walls as her fall cracked a slat beneath her mattress.

It didn't help that the fall ricocheted a nauseous wave around the inner walls of her cranial vault.

Rolling to the other side of her low-rising bed, Anko reached for a stainless steel can and heaved last night's contents into the receptacle. Thankfully, she'd remembered to line it with a plastic bag this time. It'd been a bitch to clean after her last binge. Digested strawberry daiquiris came up worse than they went down.

Coughing the last bits into the bin, Anko turned onto her back and stared at the hypnotic rhythm of her ceiling fan. It was really the only thing in her room to stare at.

She never found much comfort in crowded, homey spaces, and her bedroom reflected that sentiment: the bed itself was all angles, by design a set of rectangles propping up rectangle that held a rectangular mattress, backed by a rectangular headboard. It was deep brown, almost black, and its only accompaniment was a night stand on either side.

The only object anyone could consider decorative was a full-length mirror attached to the back of her bedroom, a pewter frame of winding serpents coiling the piece's outer ages.

When she wanted to be dramatic, Anko took no half-measures.

Her stomach lurched, the crinkle of borborygmi disrupting the placidity cultivated by the low humming-whirl of the fan.

A soft tap at her bedroom door shook the snake mistress from her listlessness, arm lunging for the spare kunai she hid in a storage seal etched into her headboard.

She calmed as she caught sight of the figure who crossed the door's threshold.

"Oh shit, it must have been quite a night if I invited you, of all people, to come keep me company."

A plastic bowl grasped in the left arm with a metal wick clutched in the right hand, Anko found herself at the pampering, matronly mercy of her _other_ best friend. Her sleeveless red dress matched her eyes down to the photon, and her brambling black mane paired the black, footless leggings she adorned as houseware during the frigid winter months. Splotches of dough peppered the young jounin's face and hair, her arm trembling as she continued to stir the confection with vigor.

"After last night, you looked like you needed a good breakfast," Kurenai answered.

Stepping out from the room's entrance, Kurenai made her way back to the apartment's sparsely decorated kitchen.

"You have a bad habit of starting the festivities without me. You'd already knocked back one bottle by the time I showed up."

"Not my fault you were late," Anko grumbled, shielding her eyes as sunlight began showering her room through the open bedroom door.

"Hard to be late when you're asked to come over last minute," came the genjutsu master's reply. "Not that I mind. I was sipping a glass of cabernet on my own before you came calling."

"Which is why I figured you wouldn't mind keeping your junior company," she groaned out. Lifting her head from he pillow, another electric shock circuited its way through her head. The nausea became evident once again, and Anko reached for the trash as she continued to hurl the contents of last night's binge.

"Unholy fuck, how much did I drink?" she shouted.

"I'm counting up 3 bottles from last night's graveyard," Kurenai shouted back. "Not to mention it looks like you let a tornado in here."

Empty bags of junk food laid scattered across the floor, crumbs littering the hardwood floor. A two liter bottle of soda laid tipped over on her rug, soaking the white shag in sticky, sweet brown. To top off the rest of the disaster, pieces of egg shell, glops of batter, and clumps of flour caked the kitchen counter top, the aftermath of Kurenai's well-intentioned cooking spree.

"The only thing that ever seems to survive your binges is the vase," Kurenai noted loudly. Dipping her head, she breathed in the strong, sweet fragrance of Anko's white tiger lilies. Nestled amongst the snow-colored petals, she noticed a crown of indigo blooming from beneath.

"Huh, this one looks new," she whispered to herself.

"What looks new?" Anko groaned from behind, having finally made her way out of bed. Feet heavy, she thumped over toward Kurenai, trying her best to tolerate the throbbing that radiated through her head. Nudging past the genjutsu mistress, Anko noted that she, indeed, place a new flower amongst her recently purchased set of lilies. Picking it out, she observed a shortened stem giving rise to a head of violet-blue petals, small bulbs of white fanning out at the bottom of each. She tucked a violet bang behind her ear, the familiar sensation flashing a buried memory from the night before.

Her mouth felt sour.

"Oh yeah, that," Anko deadpanned.

"Jeez Anko, did somebody die?" Kurenai teased. "Where's your usual pep?"

Anko reacted by flipping her the bird.

"Underneath all of this hangover, Kurenai."

Anko watched as Kurenai turned back to the flower, cursing that she'd let her sentimentality win out. And now the mother hen would start to pry, like she always did.

"It's beautiful," the red-eyed jounin stated. "But you know, I don't think I've ever seen a flower bloom like this in the winter time. Did you get this from the Yamanaka's flower shop?"

Anko shrugged in response.

"I picked it from some civilian's garden on the way home last night."

Kurenai huffed in response, turning to face her junior, hands placed on hips.

"Haven't we already talked about not subjecting the civilian populace to your criminal activities, Anko?"

"Kurenai," Anko sighed, "It's just a flower. Surrounded by others just like it. I don't think it'll be missed."

"It's the principle of the thing, Anko! You can't just go trapezing around the city, waltzing into gardens and taking people's plants!"

"The Great Mitarashi Anko only knows how to trapeze, Yuhi-sensei," Anko responded, forcing what little energy she had into the statement.

"Fine," Kurenai shot back. "Since it seems like you only respond to action."

Kurenai snatched a pair of scissors from the kitchen counter topped and snipped the top off of one of the lilies before Anko had a chance to react.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, you know, I thought your tiger lily was pretty. It'd look much better on me than it would on you."

Taking a hair pin, Kurenai slipped it around the torn stem and fixed the flower into her hair. Anko flung her hands at her senior's hair in an attempt to snatch her flower back from the black-haired prima donna.

Making her way back to Anko's bedroom, the violet-haired vixen right on her heels, Kurenai struck a pose in the mirror.

"Well what do you know. I was right. This looks a million times better on me than it would on you."

Anko kept swiping at Kurenai's head, but her dulled reflexes stood no chance against a sober jounin.

"Oh poor, you Anko-chan. Maybe I should try the blue one out instead."

That seemed to have hit a nerve. The snake mistress's eyes immediately focused hard on hers, heavy breathing setting in.

Did… did Anko just _growl_ at her?

Normally, this would be her queue to stop… but Kurenai was having way too much fun!

Bolting back out to the kitchen, Kurenai made for the vase, but found herself falling forward as Anko's foot caught her across the ankle.

Catching herself before she crashed face-first into the floor, Kurenai reached out to grab hold of the snake mistress but could only found air brushing her fingers. Looking up, she caught sight of Anko, vase in hand and a victorious grin spread across her face.

"Oh hey, looks like I won this battle."

Vines snaked their way out of the vase, ensnaring Anko's arm and making their way up to her neck. Recognizing the tactic, she flared her chakra out, dispelling the illusion.

But there stood her friend, twirling the iris in her left hand.

"But I won the war, Anko-chan."

Anko sighed, placing her vase back on the counter and watching as her friend began to pin the iris into her hair.

"Fine, take it," she huffed.

"Not gonna fight me over it?"

"I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction of dragging me into a fight."

Kurenai exhaled, gently unpinning the iris and placing it on the countertop alongside the vase. Anko probably hadn't realized it, but Kurenai could tell when the walls were down. She would jab and fake agitation, trying to get people away. Whatever happened, Anko didn't want to talk about it.

At least, for right now.

And she wouldn't pry. Anko would let her past the wall eventually.

"Come on, Anko," she teased, giving the usually-vivacious woman a light shove. "Stop thinking so much about my satisfaction and think about yours."

Taking the iris, Kurenai slipped the flower's stem between two of Anko's violet bangs, touching the petals to her hair and pinning each into place.

"Ugh, come on, you know I don't like these girly kinda things," the snake mistress complained. "Anko the Great is tough as nails, and prickly to boot."

Kurenai rolled her eyes, taking a second pin and fussing over the placement of the iris in Anko's hair.

"Deep down, we all love the occasional primping and doting. It's what separates us from the boors," Kurenai schooled, eyes focused on the task at hand.

"Kinda of like how we all like the occasional rough-and-tumble?" Anko answered back, growing impatient as the ritual continued to drag on.

"Yeah, kind of like that. Though some more than others."

"Oh, come on, Kurenai. When was the LAST time you enjoyed the warm, strong embrace of a nameless stranger?"

"I prefer the three-date rule, myself."

"What, so you've NEVER had a one-night stand?"

"I'm not a prude, Anko. Of course I have."

"So?"

"So, what? They just didn't do it for me."

"Aww, did Kurenai never get over Asu-"

A quick slug popped Anko in the arm, stinging her and causing her to rub the spot in response.

"Alright alright, I'll stop teasing you about you-know-who."

"It's not like I pry into the regrets of your love life."

A laugh spewed from Anko's throat.

"That's because I don't have any."

Kurenai rolled her eyes at her younger friend, recognizing her walls were beginning to find their way back up.

As the genjutsu mistress continued working on breakfast, Anko made her way to the sofa and plopped herself onto the couch, covering her face with a pillow.

"When are you going to finish with breakfast, anyway? My head is killing me and I'm STARVING."

As if for emphasis, her stomach decided it would be the perfect time to lurch, groaning in agreement.

"You could make yourself useful and clean up your own damn apartment, Anko."

A hard pound resounded through the apartment as a set of knocks rapped at her door.

"Oh shit, I almost forgot." Anko exclaimed. Turning onto her stomach, the snake mistress reached for the set of snow boots she'd kicked off the night prior.

"Almost forgot what?" her friend questioned.

"Hokage-sama was gonna start assigning some better pre-genin teams missions. He said they'd start coming by sometime yesterday."

"Already? That seems a bit early for a bunch of fourth-year academy students."

Anko made her way to the door, pulling it back to see the trademark black face mask of Hatake Kakashi. It'd been so long since anyone had seen behind his Fox-shaped Anbu mask, she swore she wouldn't have recognized him if it weren't for the way his characteristic scar peaked out from beneath his hitai-ate.

"Mind if I come in?" the grey-haired shinobi asked.

"I was expecting an Anbu messenger to stop by this morning." Anko began, maintaining her lithe frame in the doorway. "What brings you to my door, Kakashi?"

"Gonna make me answer your questions out in the cold Anko?" Kakashi responded lackadaisically. "That wouldn't be very nice."

"It's just a missive from the Hokage, I don't see why you can't just hand it over to me," the violet-haired beauty questioned.

Kakashi sighed, wisps of white escaping from behind his mask in the frigid winter morning.

"This wasn't anywhere near as hard with Iruka," Kakashi muttered to himself.

That certainly caught Anko's attention. Her body tensed, posture becoming more defensive.

"What does _this_ have to do with Iruka?" she spat out, eyes narrowed.

Kakashi noted the edge in her voice, though the reasoning escaped him. Iruka had always struck him as a stand-up individual, though it seemed he'd done something to get on Anko's bad side. He filed the observation away for later.

"It's not about Iruka," Kakashi deadpanned. "It's about a member from your team."

Anko stepped out from beneath her door frame, putting herself a breath's distance from the cyclops.

"Don't mince words, Kakashi," she threatened, voice tight. "Whatever is going on, you need to spit it out."

"It's not a short story, Anko," the grey-haired jounin replied. "We could get to the point faster if you'd just let me in."

Giving a final huff, the snake mistress walked back into her apartment, leaving the door wide open for the grey-haired jounin. Accepting the invitation, Kakashi stepped in, ready to complete his final task as an Anbu operative.

* * *

Kiba pounded his fist on the door, past the point of worrying whether or not it would crack under the weight of his fist. It was only out of courtesy that he hadn't broken the entire thing down. That, and the fear of the type of reprimand he would get from his mother once she found out she'd have to pay to fix ANOTHER broken door.

"Come on, Naru-chan! I can keep doing this all morning," the dog-nin yelled, his voice reverberating around the open-layout of Naruto's apartment complex. "Any louder, and you might get a noise complaint from your annoying-ass neighbors!"

Pounding the door once again, Kiba was surprised to see a seal array flash neon green, before a pail of cold water tumbled out.

Crashing on the dog-nin's head and soaking him from head to turn.

"Damnit Nar!" Kiba shouted at the faceless door. "Stop playing around! I'm worried about you! _Hinata's_ worried about you!"

Kiba nudged Hinata, prompting the Hyuuga to make her own attempt at trying to get the blond to open his door.

She stepped up to the door, noticing the white paint chipping around the edges. The wooden frame showed signs of rot, black pieces splintering off the bulk and the pungent scent of mold filling her nostrils.

Naruto had tried his best to cover it up, but everywhere you looked, there were small signs of the abuse and outright neglect the villagers showed him on a daily basis. The landlord had certainly done her part, ignoring the blond's maintenance requests. Even if he did his best to tidy up the inside, there was little he could do to mend the squalor evidenced on the exterior.

As had been their custom, Hinata gave four gentle knocks to the door, dragging her knuckles down the front three times. She paused for a brief second, before giving another two drags and final, single knock.

She stood, stare fixed at the door, waiting for any sign of life. Thirty seconds passed, then a full minute. Hinata pressed herself against the door, putting an eye to the eyehole, hoping she could make out some evidence of the blond's presence.

She caught a blue eye staring back at her, searching for her as she was for him.

"Naruto-kun," she breathed out. "I'm here Naruto-kun."

There was no answer from the other side, but somehow, she knew that he was still there. They attracted each other that way. Whether it was among the library stacks, or crammed into the confines of their childhood hideout, they could be sitting, silent, and yet one could always tell when the other was there. It wasn't something she shared with Kiba, or even her own sister.

It was something only the two of them shared.

"You don't have to say anything, Naruto-kun," she continued.

"You don't have to open the door.

"You don't have to let me in.

"I just want you to know that I'm here. No matter what you choose to do, I'll be right here for you."

Hinata turned, placing her back to the door and sliding down until she was sitting on the door mat. Catching the Inuzuka's stare, she nodded at him, a silent signal that she would take care of this, and that he should go home.

Akamaru gave a confirmatory bark, before the duo slinked off out of the complex, the sun fully risen and glistening off the crystalline flakes of snow that blanketed the Konohan cityscape. Above them, hidden in the canopies that shaded the aging apartment complex, a team of three shinobi watched the young cadet leave, no intention of interfering in the situation that was unfolding before them.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen was used to physical and emotional exhaustion. As Hokage during the last two Shinobi World Wars, he had experienced his own tactical miscalculations, and led several men to their untimely, unnecessary deaths. Children had died following his orders, and he knew that the children of other nations had been traumatized by the actions of his own shinobi. His sins would long haunt his village. He'd directly or indirectly groomed Konoha's next villain, if only to postpone the inevitable tragedies that would eventually befall its citizens.

These "peaceful" times were hardly any better. Their enemies were undefined, and they hunted the shadows of shadows. His allies could hardly be trusted, and the only trust he had was in the motivations of his adversaries. Terrorists cells were propagating and had begun infiltrating the great nations, further deepening Sarutobi's reliance on Danzo's Root operation. And he wouldn't be surprised if yesterday's _incident_ wasn't in some way orchestrated by the jingoistic war-hawk.

He loved Naruto as though he were another grandson.

He had done everything he could to provide him with a normal childhood.

But the truth was that the boy was still a weapon.

And the elements conspired to break and remold him into soulless one.

"You may speak freely," Hiruzen finally stated, addressing the only other person in the village with whom he could entrust the blond's safety.

Iruka had come as soon as Kakashi had relayed the message to him. What little details the cyclops had provided, the Hokage had filled in upon his arrival.

"We must tell him, Hokage-sama," Iruka replied. "The doubt continues to eat away at him, and he's at his most fragile. With Naruto like this, I'm sure Danzo plans to make his move on him soon."

"Namiashi Raido, Shiranui Genma, and Tatami Iwashi have already been assigned to keep watch over the boy. I have given Kakashi direct orders to join them once he has alerted Anko and Ebisu of yesterday's incident."

"We can't guard him forever, Hokaga-sama."

"I am aware of the Iruka. We would risk a civil war amongst our jounin ranks in doing so."

"So, what do you propose, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen slid a manila envelope across his desk toward the tokujo, tapping his index finger on the document to catch Iruka's attention.

"Read the details. Burn the evidence. You and your team are to deliver the terms of a new trade negotiation to Yugakure. You are to leave by the dawn of tomorrow morning.

"Given the distance and the short notice, the necessary supplies have been requisitioned and will be awaiting you at the gates. Furthermore, you are being given full authority to disclose to Uzumaki Naruto the details of his burden.

"We are at a critical point Iruka. I leave it at your discretion what to disclose and what to withhold."

"Would it not be best to leave this to you, Hokage-sama? You know the details of this much better than I do."

"I am afraid that as more and more of the secret leaks, Naruto will begin to trust me less and less. You are the one best suited for this mission, Iruka. I have provided you the resources necessary. Now it is incumbent upon you to execute this task.

Beneath the Hokage's eyelids, Iruka could make out the purple tinge of sleepless nights. It was disconcerting, knowing that something on the horizon had kept him from a peaceful rest. Had spurred him to begin a full-fledged training regimen again.

But that worry was trumped by the fact that his student was on the brink of falling apart.

It was a well-worn path for him. He'd suffered it when his parents were robbed from him. He'd watched that damned day when Anko returned, miserable and broken, her eyes empty of the mischievous mirth that once filled them, a sorrow even after all these years he still failed to penetrate. Its shards were ever present on the crags of his Hokage's face, the betrayal of his favored student topped only by the massacre of his beloved Biwako. It was an unshakeable agony. Its scars were deep and uncurable, at best suppressed to a faint whisper one heard as the final thought before laying their head to rest, hoping to be spared the doubt among sleep's embrace.

It was a pain unassuaged by solitude. A lesson only time could teach.

Taking the envelope from Hiruzen, Iruka stuffed it into the inside pocket of his flak jacket. Saluting the Hokage, Umino Iruka barged out of the Hokage's office.

Clerks crawled around like a colony of busy ants, bussing stacks of paper to and fro, shouting at every near miss they had as they danced around one another. Amongst the cacophony of panicked interns and stressed-out administrators, he barely noticed as he and Anko passed each other down the tight, bustling corridor. The iris was still affixed to her hair, stopping a handful of men dead in their tracks as she took her turn walking into Sarutobi's office.

The world blurred behind him as he hopped across the rooftops, blitzing his way to his student's apartment, hoping to get there ahead of the forces that conspired against him.

* * *

Kakashi burst into the canopy with little fanfare, the final member of Naruto's guard making his appearance. Gone was his lethargic, semi-dramatic flare. He was steely, hand signs flashing as he questioned Genma on the situation.

_Two Root teams, three members each._ Genma answered._ There's a Yamanaka and an Aburame amongst them, and that's all we've been able to make out._

_Is 'Kinoe' amongst them? _Kakashi signed back.

_Not that any of us have been able to tell. Best guess, he's currently guarding the bastard himself._

Kakashi knew that neither team dared make a move. As aggressive as Danzo was acting, he did not want to risk igniting a civil war. He required the loyalty of ALL of Konoha's shinobi to fulfill his ambition, and it would not be an easy task to steal that away from Sarutobi.

_Besides the Hyuuga, has anyone else been anywhere near that apartment?_

_Inuzuka Kiba came with the Hyuuga, but high-tailed it about half-an-hour back._

Whether she knew it or not, Hinata was the greatest obstacle sitting between Danzo and Naruto. Whatever tactic Root may want to try, it would fail while the blond's closest friend was in proximity. Any offer Danzo could make would mean nothing while Hinata was in Naruto's view. Even after everything, she anchored him to his hope. To the better side of his humanity. And she sat at his door with unwavering loyalty.

She was lucky to be a Hyuuga. Anyone else, and Danzo may have been less hesitant to deal with this obstacle more forcefully.

_Where is Ko?_

_We made contact right before the Inuzuka left. He had been recalled to the house by Hiashi, who's embroiled in his own political tensities at the moment._

Kakashi cursed. It seemed that Root was already making their move with the Hyuuga. No doubt their plot would drag the young heiresses into the quagmire unfolding before them.

With a rustle of leaves, an Anbu messenger apparated before them, handing the cyclops a tiny scroll of paper before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived.

Kakashi unrolled it, igniting the scrap almost immediately.

_What did it say? _Raido signed to their commander.

_Iruka was just seen leaving the Hokage tower._

_It seems the Hokage has made his next move, then, Kakashi-san._

It was the only logical move on Sarutobi's part, of course, but this was a ninja village, and nothing ever played so straight-forward.

Danzo would know this was his rival's next move. And would look to intercept him. But each side's forces were spread thin as it was, and despite Iruka's recent promotion, he was a capable shinobi worthy of his title. It would take more than some low-caliber shinobi to bring him down.

The doubt gnawed at him. Iruka wasn't a piece with whom he could play loosely. He was their best chance at victory.

And at the same time, he was a clan-less, no name shinobi whose greatest accomplishment was killing a minor missing-nin. In the grand scheme of things, he wasn't someone to be missed. Especially by the likes of Shimura Danzo.

Decision made, he signaled his orders to the trio.

_Go to Umino. Get him back here on the double. Don't let anything befall him._

The three men nodded, black blurs breaking out of the tree tops as they looked to meet Iruka and intercept whatever plan Danzo was putting into play.

* * *

Several meters underground, three masked figures made their way through the dank confines of the Root Headquarters' prison block. Danzo had allowed Orochimaru to perform experiments on these foreign prisoners, looking to make some use of their former adversaries.

It appeared that that time had come.

Five cells down and to the right, the group of three came upon the prisoner they sought.

He was a hulking figure of a man, easily double the width and triple the weight of the average shinobi, all of it pure muscle. His body was covered in stone scale, leaving the shinobi hairless.

"Takahashi Hyousuke," the center figure called, grabbing the stone-man's attention.

"Our leader has offered you a task in exchange for your freedom."

"Speak then, worm," the man's voice bellowed, his thick baritone echoing off the enclosure's steel walls.

"You are to lead a three-man team in the assassination of one Umino Iruka. In exchange, should you survive the attempt, our men shall provide you free passage back to Iwagakure."

The offer was met with a deep laugh, the shinobi's beady brown eyes filled with disinterest.

"You must have the wrong shinobi if you think I wax nostalgic about that hellhole," he retorted. "Get lost, tree-hugger."

Undeterred, the masked ninja continued.

"Our leader has also promised his support and resources in helping you launch a guerrilla war against the Hidden Rock's current leadership, in return for your success."

He stood a full 218 centimeters, several heads above the men before him.

"Now you're speaking my language, Konohan.

He pulled an arm behind his back, stretching the muscles of his shoulder blade.

"But it does make me wonder why the great Shimura Danzo would extend me, the Indestructible Golem of Iwagakure, such a generous offer."

"Take it or leave it, Iwa scum. We're not here to indulge in your petty word games."

"Damn, you're touchy," Hyousuke responded, spitting a glob of saliva and mucous onto the ground. "Whatever that jackass' motivations, I know a good deal when I see one."

A clatter resounded as the trio's leader tossed a hitai-ate into the cell.

"And make sure you wear that."

A gash had been struck through the middle of the Hidden Rock's insignia, the symbol marking the man as a missing-nin.

"You gonna unbind my chakra?"

"After you've done your part and you put it on."

"Seems a little hackneyed, doesn't it?" Hyousuke taunted. "Blaming foreign terrorists on the death of a villager."

"Are you going to continue looking a gift horse in the mouth, or are you going to take up the offer?"

Snatching the cloth from cold ground beneath him, Hyousuke tied his old hitai-ate behind his head.

Immediately, a guttural scream rang out from his throat, a trail of black markings snaking down his body and wrapping around his head.

That was the problem you ran into when you struck a deal with the devil.

Sometimes, the deal struck back.

* * *

The moment he felt the hint of a hot breeze tickle the nape of his neck, instinct took over as barrier of dense, white chakra manifested around him.

Turning, he saw a wave of fire baring down against the forcefield, contracting it against the scar-faced tokujo.

_Damnit._

He hadn't been expecting an outright attack. Some tailing, definitely. But Danzo was getting bold if he was going to start actively attacking the shinobi loyal to Hiruzen.

His hands blurred through seals as his barrier began to give away against the coming conflagration. Placing a hand to his mouth, Iruka deactivated the shield and unleashed a water dragon to do battle with wall of fire.

The move only bought him seconds.

Iruka felt a fist crash into the side of his abdomen, launching him through the walls of a nearby shop. The building quaked in response, the beams snapping beneath the unbalanced weight of the top floor. Another stream of fire was directed toward Iruka, igniting the nearby debris.

A cloud of grey poofed above the wreckage, the brunet having performed the replacement technique with a piece of plywood flying through the air.

From above, he could make out three figures: a seven-foot beast of man with cracked, armor-like skin and the hitai-ate of Iwagakure wrapped around his hairless head; a black-haired woman of average height, the symbol of Konohagakure scratched through on her forehead protector; and a lanky, shark-toothed swordsmen, who no doubt had to be an assassin from Kirigakure.

Despite being outnumbered and out-gunned, he recognized that his first priority was the safety of the villagers.

But it did him little good, as the black-haired kunoichi unleased another blaze in his direction.

Electing to preserve his chakra, Iruka erected another spherical barrier around himself, bisecting the torrent of flames as it impacted the shield.

However, this move had left him defenseless to physical attacks.

The ground cracked beneath Hyousuke as he launched himself into the air, shooting himself straight at the ball of chakra surrounding Iruka.

Midair, Hyousuke clasped his hands together and axe-handled the sphere back toward the earth, a crater denting the once bustling street.

Screams echoed around him as the civilian casualties began mounting. The stone-man charged again, missing Iruka as the brunet leapt backward and out of the way of the man's punch. As it made contact, the Earth tremored once more, fissures rippling through the ground as a wave of dirt crested and made its way toward Iruka. From behind him, the Mist's assassin entered the fray, his katana swiping downward in an attempt to catch Iruka across the back.

Iruka tucked himself down and rolled forward, shifting his momentum and allowing himself to get hit by the earthen wall breaking in his direction. He felt his brain rattle inside of his skull as the wave made contact, but it was a small price to pay as it pushed him behind the mist-nin, allowing him to slash open his opponent's Achilles tendon.

The shark-toothed shinobi yelped as he fell to a knee, his right leg now useless. Hyousuke's shock wave finally caught up to him, throwing him off of his feet and sending the assassin tumbling across the snowbanks.

Iruka wouldn't let the chance go by. As the mist-nin skidded in his direction, he unleashed a fire dragon of his own, it's gaping maw thrashing forward in pursuit of the target.

Being on his back didn't make him helpless. Running through a series of hand signs, countered Iruka's fire dragon with one of water. As the two serpents clashed in mid-air, the fire boiled the water as the elemental advantage turned the tide in the missing-nin's favor. Steam misted off of the two attacks, concealing the missing-nin from Iruka's view.

In the midst of their jutsu battle, the black-haired kunoichi had made her way to Iruka's exposed backside. Inhaling, she expelled a swirling ball of super-heated fire, rocketing the missile in the teacher's direction. Caught between two jutsu, and pre-occupied by his current attack, Iruka had no time to erect a barrier to protect himself from the overwhelming onslaught.

Which was perfectly fine by him.

As the missile made contact, it ate away at the chakra construct, bursting the clone into smoke, the three jutsu crashing together and exploding as the energy of the attacks destabilized.

Obscured by smoke and cut-off from his team, the missing-nin was helpless when Iruka buried a kunai into the man's throat, twisting blade and slashing his larynx out. Carotids open, they flooded the mist assassin's airway with streams of blood, causing him to cough in reflex.

Whether he died of suffocation or blood loss first would be up to time itself.

But Iruka had no time to celebrate his victory. The last maneuver had eaten away at his reserves, and he doubted he could maintain the same level against his two remaining opponents.

Bursting through the curtain of steam and smoke, Hyousuke bore down on the weakened tokujo, fists arching down to pulverize Iruka where he stood.

With what little energy he had left, Iruka threw up barrier to hold back the Iwa-nin's attack. He stone-man pressed his advantage, a relentless barrage of fists crashing into the forcefield, weakening the shield with every hit.

Hyousuke felt the barrier crack under the force of his punch. Peering through, he could see the Konohan shinobi panting for breath, his forehead covered in sweat. It was on the verge of breaking through that Hyousuke found himself grasped from the mid-section by a tangle of snakes. Flung into the sky, the airborne shinobi watched as a violet-haired kunoichi launched a spray of fireballs in his direction.

Unable to dodge, the Takahashi did the next best thing and hardened his earthen hide, shielding him from the worst of the damage.

From Anko's side, another spray of fire burst through the black smoky veil, targeting the distracted leaf-nin.

His coils protested as he dug deeper, pulling the last of his reserves and placing a barrier around Anko and himself.

"I'm fucking spent," he panted out. "That was the last of it."

Snapping open a pocket, Anko tossed Iruka a soldier pill.

"Shut up and eat it, Iruka."

Without hesitation, the brunet gulped the red sphere down, energy flooding his system and giving him enough chakra to sustain the barrier against the relentless inferno.

"Listen asshole," Anko began, taking a Kunai and wrapping an explosive tag around it. "The moment this barrier goes down, I'm taking the meat head. You seem to do well with spit-fires, so she's all yours."

Anko had his back to him, her eyes refusing to deviate from the stone-man as he crashed onto a snow-covered roof.

"After last night, you owe me big. So don't go dying on me before I get a chance for payback."

Iruka hadn't finished catching his breath, opting for a wordless thumbs-up over a verbal acknowledgment.

"Good. Now let the barrier down."

Iruka tensed his legs, ready to propel himself out of range of the torrenting hellfire. As the field faded from sight, the duo split, allowing the pyre to scorch the Earth beneath them.

The pyromaniac continued to pursue Iruka with an endless stream of embers. Finding cover behind the remainder of a steel-walled building, the brunet collected himself. One-on-one, he didn't need to strategize on the fly like he had when he had been ambushed. And his opponent seemed like a one-trick pony. Mind you, it was a good trick. But he'd gotten around it once, and bet his winning strategy would work again.

Precipitation began to congeal together beside Iruka, shaping itself into a replica of the scar-faced shinobi. A second clone popped into existence on Iruka's right, turning to the original and giving the man a nod. The central one gave a thumbs up, signaling to his copies to initiate the plan.

The water clone dashed out from behind the cover, the black-haired kunoichi's flames giving chase. Using the remainder of his chakra, the mizu bushin manifested a white sphere of dense chakra around himself. It lasted only a second, as the pillar of fire burst through weakly constructed barrier.

But that distraction was all that Iruka had needed.

From beneath the earth, his shadow clone grabbed onto the ankles of the pyromancer, hauling her into the ground and burying her neck deep. Exploding from the ground beneath, the clone slammed his hand on the woman's forehead, an array of symbols and letters unfolded from the center. With her last moment of freedom, the fire-wielder turned the blaze onto the shadow clone, incinerating him and leaving behind a plume of grey smoke.

It was her last action as the String Light Formation locked itself into place, binding the woman into her underground prison.

Wasting no time, Iruka hopped over the barrier and sprinted to the exposed head of the black-haired kunoichi. Whipping out a kunai, Iruka buried it deep into her cranial vault, blood oozing from the wound he'd given her. Within seconds, a string of bold, black symbols formed along her skin, searing orange before enveloping the whole of her body and igniting the corpse in a blaze of purple flames.

His gaze shifted toward the Anko, watching as she continued to rip pieces of stone from Hyousuke's skin. Beneath the plating, torn, ragged pieces of sinew had been charred by a barrage of fireballs the snake mistress had spewed in his direction.

Anko herself was not without wounds. She favored her left side and jolted whenever she landed on her right, most likely the result of a few fractured ribs. Her right eye was swollen shut, and blood was running down her forehead.

His opponents were leagues weaker than the behemoth Anko had decided to face. He was lucky he'd only had to tussle with the man for a short number of minutes before she had intervened, and lucky he'd only sustained minor injuries during the exchange.

The Takahashi's chest fully exposed, Anko decided to make her penultimate move. Slamming her hands into the stone-man, the snake mistress unleashed a ripple of electric bolts through the man's body, rooting his feet to the rooftop. Picking the right kunai out of her pouch, Anko stabbed him in the midsection, leaping backwards off of the building and onto the snow-covered ground.

"Hope you enjoy fireworks, mother fucker!" she jeered back, watching as the explosive tag went off, blowing a hole into the man's peritoneal cavity and frying pieces of his viscera.

And just as with the kunoichi, a purple flame soon enshrouded the man, immolating him into nothing but ash.

A number of civilian corpses littered the streets, victims to the uncontrolled onslaught rained upon them by the trio of missing-nin. Already the damage was proving too much for some of the buildings, people stampeding out and scattering as a concrete edifice collapsed under its own destabilizing weight.

Iruka ran over to the snake mistress, lifting her arm and trying to wrap it around his shoulder. Anko immediately pushed him off, giving him a reprimanding glare.

"Civilians first," she coughed out through the smoke. "We can kiss and make-up later."

"We don't know how many of them are out there, Anko," Iruka pleaded. "I'm not leaving you alone out here."

"I don't need a knight in shining armor, Iruka," she wheezed. Unable to keep down a smile, she tilted her head up and gave him a smirk. "In fact, I'd say you were the one who need saving."

Reaching up, she felt the singed petals of her iris miraculously still in place. Unclipping the flower, she placed what was left of it into the front of Iruka's tightly pulled back hair.

"There you go princess," she teased, grabbing her side as another jolt of pain shocked its way up her body. "Guess I've got to take the hits for you too."

As he was about to reply, Genma, Raido, and Iwashi landed beside the duo.

"What are you three doing here?" Iruka half-shouted, panic starting to fray his nerves. "Who the hell is watching Naruto?"

"Relax, teach," Genma replied, cocky and suave in tone. "Kakashi's on it and he's worth like, what, at least twice the three of us combined?"

"Sounds about right," Raido answered, taking up a position on the other side of Iruka and connecting a hand with Genma's.

"Wait, get Anko out of here, she's far more injured-"

"-And you're the only one who can stop this from going any further," she replied. "Get to Naruto, and Danzo's lost. Whatever hand he's playing with becomes worthless."

"Either way, Iruka," Iwashi cut in, connecting his hands with Genma and Raido's. "We've got our orders."

"Back-up's already on its way, so focus on finding the blond-haired brat," Anko jeered.

It was the last thing he heard before a he felt the pit of his stomach fall out from underneath him. In a flash of yellow, the four were gone, leaving the snake mistress behind, struggling to stand. She wasn't alone for long. A green-clad blur of exuberance made his dramatic entrance, making proclamations of youth as Anko finally felt comfortable enough to let unconsciousness take her.

* * *

Iruka found himself at Naruto's front door. Reaching forward, the brunet knocked on the door three times, pausing before knocking once and dragging his knuckle against the door, knocking twice before giving a drag and knocking twice more.

"Something's not right here," Raido muttered. "The Hyuuga was standing out here not too long ago."

"She probably went inside," Genma retorted. "Everyone knows how in love with the blond she is."

"She'd have opened up for us by now," Iruka answered. "She knows my code word to let Naruto know it's me outside. She'd have recognized I arrived."

Frantically, Iruka tapped out his code onto Naruto's door again. He watched, hoping to hear a bolt unlock, or a brass knob turn. As the seconds passed, Iruka could hear the pounding of his heart inside his ear, breath rattling out in anxiety and exhaustion.

And his wit's end, Iruka began pounding at the door, frantic for a response.

"It's not going to do you any good," came a voice from beside them.

Walking down the corridor, hands in his pockets, Kakashi calmly approached the quartet of shinobi.

"They're gone."

"What do you mean, 'they're gone?'" Iruka interrogated, eyes scanning the cyclops single one.

"Gone. No longer at this locality. Gave us the slip," Kakashi responded.

Iruka's face slipped into surprise, followed by incredulity, before finally settling on outright anger.

The brunet grabbed the taller man by the collar of his flak jacket in a pathetic attempt to appear threatening.

"How in the hell are two twelve-year-old children capable of giving this village's second-strongest shinobi-

"-joint second strongest," Kakashi corrected.

"JOINT SECOND STRONGEST SHINOBI," Iruka roared, "the fucking 'slip?'"

"Mmmmm…" Kakashi hummed. "Well, I mean, he's been dodging lower-level Anbu since he was nine years old. With all the training you inspired, it was only a matter of time before he'd finally be able to evade me."

Iruka grit his teeth in response, eyes boring into Kakashi's.

"If it makes you feel any better, Root has even less of a clue where he is. They're completely scrambled, if their communication lines are anything to go by."

"Then what the hell are you still doing here?" Iruka questioned through pursed lips.

"Oh," Kakashi stared up, feigning thought. "Well, this isn't actually me. I'm out looking for him. I left this shadow clone behind to let you guys know what's going down."

"You didn't think you could start off by letting us know that in the first place?"

"I was busy fielding your questions."

"Then where IS he?"

The shadow clone shrugged.

"Pakkun can't even pick up a scent. You ask me, nothing short of master sensor is going to find him."

Iruka released the clone's flak jacket.

"Tell me you have a plan."

The clone nodded his head before giving the man a thumbs-up.

"You're the plan, Iruka."

"I'm the plan?"

"Well, seeing as the kid's crush has decided to join him for the proverbial joyride, you're our next best bet at getting to him."

"And what if I don't figure it out?"

"We have time, but sooner or later, Root's going to start hitting up the clan heirs with their questions."

"There's no way the clan heads would ever allow that."

"There's little an absent parent can do to protect their child. And Shikaku, Chouza, and Inoichi are currently on a mission.

"I'll give it another four hours before Danzo becomes desperate enough to start pushing his luck."

"Like he hasn't already?"

"Sending missing-nin to attack a clanless school teacher is hardly a political liability, Iruka. Sorry to break it to you."

"Shit," Iruka cursed, biting his lip.

"Sad to say, but he's got a lot of plausible deniability on this one," 'Kakashi' informed him. "Terrorist splinter cells seem to be all the rage amongst shinobi disgruntled with the current socioeconomic system and what-not."

"And aside from you and Anko, the only casualties are civilian in nature," Raido added. "The Civilian Council is likely to involve the daimyo, placing increased scrutiny on the Hokage."

"How the hell do we keep playing into Shimura's hands?" Genma remarked. "Any action we take, and he's suddenly a step ahead of us."

"We have to get out from behind." Iruka commented. "He has no clue where Naruto is, and the only way he's going to get any closer any time soon is if WE give him that information.

"Do you know any place where Danzo's men don't have their eyes and ears?" Iruka asked.

"If any place is safe, I'd hazard it's Sarutobi's office," Kakashi responded. "Why, you got a plan?"

"Yeah," Iruka responded. "But if they catch wind, they'll swarm the place before we can make it in time."

"Sounds good. I'll let the main one know to meet you there."

Disrupting his chakra flow, the shadow clone sent his memories back to the original, letting him know the first phase of Iruka's plan.

Raido, Genma, and Iwashi positioned themselves in their three-point formation, surrounding the scar-faced teacher.

"How close can you get us?" Iruka asked.

"How close do you think the ex-Hokage's guard is supposed to get?" Genma jested.

In another flash, the four were gone, their footprints covered by the increasingly heavy snowfall, erasing any evident evidence that anyone had been there. The complex remained silent and lifeless, its denizens curled inside, afraid of the pandemonium growing outside their doors.

* * *

Just a few notes:

1) Still promising a fuller A/N at chapter's end. We only have a few events left to cover in "The Calm Before," and I've used this chapter to set-up what's to come after.

2) These past two chapters have started one way and gone entirely different than planned. They haven't strayed from the general outline, rather, I have found that following it too narrowly may leave me with a more contrived plot.

3) Another Iruka-centric chapter, though we'll be returning to Naruto in the beginning of the next. His role will be growing in prominence, ESPECIALLY following this first arc.

4) Work on Part 3 has already begun. Expect it sooner rather than later.

As always, thank you guys for all your support. You all are what keep me motivated to continue writing this. I've never made it this deep into a story before but am glad it's turning out better than I could have expected. Obviously, I still have a lot of work to do concerning my writing skills. But the effort has definitely been worth it.

'Til next time!


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